A Dangerous Method
by Eliza-Lou-Riley
Summary: Darkness has fallen over Camelot. Uther is dead, the new king is having an affair and a recently knighted druid has become infatuated with a certain serving boy. He will do anything to gain Merlin's affection. Even murder. Merthur and Merdred. Rated M for gore, murder and moderate sexual scenes.
1. Mordred's infatuation

**A/N: With many thanks to Mango-llama, who was not only a massive inspiration for this story, but who was also good enough to allow me to borrow some of their ideas Xx**

* * *

_I love you._

Merlin didn't turn at the voice. He knew it all too well. The irritating, lovesick pleading that came from the warped mind of the infatuated druid boy, who now resembled more of a whining dog than a knight of Camelot. His behaviour was pathetic, as it seemed he couldn't go more than an hour without bugging Merlin for attention. He'd mope around the castle all day, hanging around the king's chambers and when the serving-boy finally emerged he'd hound him for his affection until Merlin was all set to knock his teeth out. It was bad enough opening the door to Gaius' chambers every morning to find the druid boy curled up asleep by the wall outside. The last thing he needed was the obsessed child following him around every inch of the palace.

Mordred came up behind him and - as the serving-boy desperately tried to distract himself by sorting the king's washing - snuck his arms around Merlin's waist and began gently kissing the warm skin of his neck. Merlin stiffened at the touch.

_I love you._

_Leave me alone Mordred. _

The druid ceased kissing and began sucking, tenderly leaving small red marks and traces of saliva down to Merlin's shoulder.

_Oh Emrys, why do you hate me so?_

Merlin considered the question. Why _did_ he hate Mordred? Well, hate is a strong word. He didn't necessarily _hate_ him. The nature of the boy just strongly irritated him, that's all.

_You said you'd never forgive me._

_I was a child when I said that. I've grown up, Emrys._

_You're going to kill Arthur._

_How can I kill him when_ _I know it would hurt you? In case you haven't noticed I am avoiding that at all costs._

_Don't._

_Excuse me?_

_Don't act like you care._

_But I do care for you Emrys. Very much so._

_You know your destiny and you're as stuck with it as I am mine. So don't try and convince me that you're 'pure' all of a sudden._

Mordred sighed and tenderly nuzzled his face into Merlin's neck, _My poor Emrys..._

_I'll never be yours._

_Then I'll just have to keep fighting_- Mordred cut off to plant a few more light kisses on Merlin's jawbone, _-until I win you._

He took the serving boy's chin with his thumb and forefinger and turned his head to the side, so their lips brushed against each other softly. Merlin, though frozen for a moment, tilted his head back before their mouths could lock together.

_Stay away from me. _

He forgot about the washing and pushed past the druid to get to the door. A few centimetres away and a voice cried out, "Stop!"

It was rare for Mordred to raise his voice like that. In fact, it was rare for Mordred to communicate with Merlin through anything other than telepathic speech. But here he was, talking from the mouth, his words a mixture of madness and agony. Merlin ignored it and clamped his hand against the doorknob.

"Don't you dare leave!" Mordred cried.

Merlin bent his head to hide the smirk,_ What are you going to do about it? You can't stop me._

_I'll cry._

_Oh, I'm terrified._

_You should be. If you leave, I'll cry. I'll cry myself sick._

_See if I care._

He turned the handle and stormed out, narrowly avoiding breaking the door in the process. He went immediately back to Gaius' chambers to see if the old physician had an errand for him to do, all the while trying to block out the sound of miserable sobbing that hammered in his ears and clung to his thoughts.


	2. The king's lover

The irritating wailing noise had carried on throughout the night, sparing Merlin of any sleep. Arthur had gone to bid Guinevere farewell as she set off to visit her mother, who had taken to her bed due to a fever. Merlin had been waiting for this day; when he could finally be alone with the king without his wife snooping around. It wasn't that he didn't like Gwen. He just preferred it when she wasn't around.

The door opened and knowing it was Arthur, the serving-boy didn't bother to turn around. He heard a key turn in the door and gasped as he felt two arms snake their way around his waist.

"She's gone."

The raven-haired boy grinned and turned around so their foreheads were pressed together, "At last."

Within seconds of being pressed up against the wall, Merlin felt a warm sensation spreading in his lower abdomen, spreading to his chest as the king attacked his neck, leaving small bite marks in a line along the pale skin. He wound his legs around Arthur's waist, arms around his neck, tongue running across the bottom half of his lip.

"I missed you." Arthur said in a voice that was dark and sweet.

"I missed you too."

Resuming in exploring each other's mouths, Arthur rested Merlin onto his feet once again and they moved to the bed, where the softness of the mattress supported the aching strain within Merlin's spine and he sighed, blowing hot air into Arthur's throat. To prepare them for what was about to come, Arthur began removing the lace on the ragged shirt the servant wore, with the intention of ripping it open, had someone not hammered on the door that very moment. Growling, the king pulled himself away from the raven-head and went to make himself more presentable.

"This better be good." He patted his hair back into place and quickly unlocked the door.

Sir Gwaine entered and found Arthur standing in wait for him with Merlin by the bed, folding the covers. The tension in the air was obvious, but each one ignored it.

"The knights are ready for training, sire."

Merlin suppressed a groan of disappointment and studied the bedsheets determinedly.

"My apologies." Arthur replied, "I forgot. I'll have Merlin fetch my armour for me."

With a roll of his eyes, Merlin stood and left the room behind Gwaine, casting a final look at the king who silently ordered him not to speak or hint a word of what had just occurred. The truth was, it'd been occurring since the king and queen had married. It wasn't that Arthur didn't care for Guinevere – she was a kind and committed friend. Just a friend, that's all she'd ever be. He'd tried kissing her, but there was no feeling, no spark. Now with Merlin, this was a different story. He felt hot feelings he'd never felt before. He'd married Gwen because Camelot needed an heir. No other reason. But even the thought of becoming intimate with her made him shudder; it wasn't that she was unattractive, more the idea that he could never picture having any sexual relationship with her due to the fact their personalities were of a complete opposite. With Merlin, they could be both friends and lovers. They were with each other every minute of the day; they could throw jokes at each other whenever they wanted. And then of course, when Gwen was absent and the knights were down at the tavern, there was plenty of alone time to get to know each other a little better. It'd been Arthur who'd kissed first, just once randomly. A single random moment had changed them both.

"Your lip is bruised."

Merlin touched his mouth with the tip of his finger and his lips curled into a smile, "So it is."

Gwaine gave him a knowing look, which always made the serving-boy wonder if he had any knowledge of the chemistry going on between he and the king. He knew Gwaine was a loyal friend and would never tell anyone of the affair. But if Gwaine knew, then it must have been because Merlin was becoming too obvious. He'd have to start keeping a low head now; as the last thing he needed was the knights becoming suspicious.

"Sir Mordred is a little off today." Gwaine commented, as they turned the corner to where the armour was stored, "He's been refusing to eat and came down to the meeting today with eyes red as blood."

"Strange." Merlin pretended to sound remotely surprised, "What would he have to cry about?"

Gwaine shrugged, "Who knows. Maybe you should speak with him?"

"_Me_ speak with him? Why should I?"

"You both seem to have a…connection with each other."

The comment made Merlin blush, "I don't know what you mean..."

"And he's slightly lighter on his feet when you're around. Almost…_distracted_."

"Gwaine, have you been at the ale again?"

The knight grinned, "I can't understand why you're always in denial when we suggest a man has fallen for you. You have many qualities that will never be found on any maiden."

"Oh yes?" Merlin began rubbing the dirt off Arthur's shield, "Like what?"

"Your body is finely shaped, you have lovely eyes and your winning personality is likely to brighten anyone's day."

Merlin laughed, "You're nothing but a jest, Gwaine."

"And you're allergic to compliments."

Merlin moved on to Arthur's sword and whilst polishing, spoke up to Gwaine again, "So, what should I say to him?"

"To who?"

"To Sir Mordred. Were I to speak with him, what should I say?"

Gwaine squinted in thought, "Ask him the cause of his misery. We can't have him swanning around the castle looking like he's been put up for execution, the king would not have it. Being a knight requires strength and stability."

"He's only a child."

"But he has a duty now." Gwaine sighed and looked at the floor, "It's unfair, I know, but that's the way it is."

"Perhaps he's ill?"

"Perhaps. You will find out, won't you?"

"I'll try."

He continued preparing the king's armour in silence whilst Gwaine watched thoughtfully from the door. When he was finished, he walked past the knight with the initiative to start heading for Arthur's chambers.

"Be careful Merlin."

The words froze him and he paused a moment, though the knight remained at the doorway. A wave of heat passed between them and brought colour to Merlin's cheeks, until both felt like they were on fire. Feeling the armour slowly slipping out of his grip, he pressed them tighter to his chest and continued walking.


	3. Childish plotting

Gwaine hadn't been exaggerating his statement; the state of the boy's eyes when Merlin found him sitting alone on the palace steps was enough to make him wince. He fought to ignore the twinge of guilt that simmered in his bones and instead wondered if he could slip away without the druid noticing.

_Hello, Emrys._

Damn.

He should have known better. Nothing ever got past Mordred, no matter how subtle. He sighed in frustration and went to sit next to the knight, keeping a good distance away from him.

_I heard you crying last night._

This earned a smirk from Mordred, _I intended for you to hear._

_I know that. And I wish you'd stop._

_I'll never stop. Not until you love me._

_You're such a child._

This comment seemed to send a sting to Mordred's soul so the smile vanished and Merlin could have sworn he saw a drop of water escape from his eye. Merlin was not a cruel person. Like every human being, he had a temper. But he only ever used to when necessary. Most of the time he kept it bottled up. He wasn't used to being so spiteful and the sight of tears caused the twinge of guilt to return.

_I'm sorry_, he gingerly reached over and brushed the tear away, _I didn't mean-_

The sound of footsteps startled him and he quickly pulled his hand away as Sir Leon appeared around the corner.

"There you are." He said to Merlin, "The king's been looking for you. He wishes for your presence in his chambers."

"What for?" Merlin asked, paying no attention to the envious glower spreading across Mordred's face.

"He didn't say. But he wishes to meet you there."

The serving-boy didn't need to be asked twice. He lifted himself off the stairs and started following the knight to Arthur's chambers, whilst the druid hung back with hungry eyes.

_You __**will**__ be mine, Emrys._

When he received no reply, he pulled himself from the stairs and hastened down the opposite corridor which, only known to him, was a shortcut to Arthur's chambers. When he got there, the door was unlocked and the king nowhere to be found. Lips curling up into a grin, he ran to the wardrobe in the corner of the room and quickly climbed in, pulling the door shut.


	4. Shenanigans

Arthur entered his chambers and made sure none of the servants were hanging about, before going and quickly making his bed, something which Merlin normally did for him. He went to his mirror to make sure he looked appealing before removing his cloak and placing it over his armchair. He wondered if he had time to change his clothes and glanced over at the wardrobe in the corner. But the sound of approaching footsteps turned his attention to the door and he straightened himself up as Sir Leon entered.

"Merlin for you, sire." The knight bowed and made his exit.

"You wanted to see me Ar-?" Merlin was cut off as the king came forward and their mouths collided, a slippery wetness sliding into his mouth. He moaned and felt arms wrap around his waist, guiding him towards the bed. A familiar place.

He was pushed down and the tongue slid in further, on the verge of choking him. He gasped and felt the hot air spreading down his throat to his chest, making his heart burn. He pulled the king in closer, deepening the kiss. Arthur allowed his hands to wander and immediately undid the lacing on Merlin's jacket, pulling it off and throwing it in a heap on the floor.

"Arthur-" Merlin was silenced with a finger on his lips.

"Let's do it."

"What?"

"Let's do it now. I've been waiting so long."

"But…but the queen is due back tomorrow. You must-"

"I don't care. I want to make love, Merlin." He grinned, "And you have to obey the king."

Merlin went mute as a wet tongue slid across his bottom lip, making him shiver. The king only paused to remove his own shirt before pressing himself down against the serving-boy who was currently paralysed to the mattress, overcome with a sudden fear. He'd failed to inform Arthur that he was still a virgin. The idea of what was going to happen next brought great uncertainty, but also great excitement.

A nostalgic feeling had indulged itself into both of them; giving the impression that they'd left this too long, that they should just go ahead and do it. The feeling of Arthur's arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders gave Merlin a sense of security and he clung to the king he so strongly desired to make love to. A hand made it's way to the buttons of Merlin's shirt and slowly began undoing them, stroking the silky back of the serving-boy with one hand like it was a kitten's fur. Now they were both half-naked, Arthur pulled himself properly onto the bed so he was lying directly on top of the younger boy and they basked in each other's ambiance, creating each other's warmth.

After they'd drawn back for breath, Arthur sat up on his knees and looked down at the raven-head, his eyes dulled by the darkness of the room. He gave that quirky smile, the one he'd given Merlin when they'd first met; a feeling of sudden ecstasy wrapping like a belt in his gut. Caressing the serving-boy's supple cheek, he lifted his chin; their noses almost touching so Merlin could feel the warmth of his breath brushing the top of his lip. He stared back into those hardened blue eyes as his own started to shut. The kisses against his neck gave him even more indication of what was to happen next. Their lips spoke love and what happened next would speak forever.

Then all of a sudden a pot on the table shattered, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. The noise startled them both and they stared at the broken object, eyes wide.

"How the hell…?" Arthur began, slowly pulling himself up. Merlin remained baffled on the bed. He knew arousal was sometimes a cause for magic to spiral out of control. But surely he'd have felt it happen?

Moments later, the chandelier that hung on the ceiling of Arthur's room gave way and smashed against the ground along with the shards of glass, shocking them both further.

"This is ridiculous." Arthur snapped, sitting up and putting his shirt back on, "This room is falling apart."

Merlin could sense someone else's presence in the room and narrowed his eyes.

"Perhaps you should ask one of the servants to clear up the mess...?" he eyed the broken glass on the floor, "…someone might get hurt."

Arthur ran this thought through his mind, "You're right."

He got off the bed and went and put his cloak back around his shoulders.

"And Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Be here when I get back."

As soon as the king had left, Merlin pulled his shirt back on, got to his feet, stepped over the broken glass and went to the wardrobe. He pulled open the doors and Mordred fell out, landing at his feet. Picking himself up, he looked up at Merlin and grinned sheepishly.

_Fancy seeing you here_, _Emrys. _


	5. Punish me

"Are you out of your _mind_?!" Merlin hissed, eyes flashing rage as pushed the druid boy up against the wall, "Arthur might have seen you! Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed, you idiotic fool?!"

Blood rushed to Mordred's head as Merlin gripped his sides, shaking him like a mother would a shrieking brat until his head spun. Had he any sense, he'd have been afraid. But instead, he mumbled uncertainly;

"You care about me that much?"

His anger boiling down, Merlin breathed a weary sigh and released the boy from his grip, turning away from him so he wouldn't have to see the expression of defeat within his face.

_Why won't you love me, Emrys?_

_You know why._

_I won't stop. I'll keep using magic until you love me. Even if it means putting my own life at risk._

"You're mad," Merlin raged, spinning around and pointing his finger at Mordred, "You're mad I tell you! Magic is not something to be messed around with! Do you _want_ to get caught?"

_Of course not,_ Mordred rolled his eyes, _But I warned you. I will make you mine Emrys and I'll do anything until I get you. You treat me like a child so I shall act like one. A reckless, disobedient child._

Merlin glared down at him, "You insolent brat."

Mordred bent his head to hide the smirk, refusing to let Merlin see his amusement. He knew that in order to get what he wanted, he needed to play the cards right.

"And I've had enough of it, do you hear me? I don't know how to get _through_ to you, Mordred."

"I do."

Merlin allowed that message to pass through and for a moment, felt a slight heat fill up in his cheeks, "What are you saying?"

The druid suddenly crouched so his knees were touching the coldness of the floor, eyes lowered.

_I have been careless Emrys. I have gone against you and put my life in danger. I have been a fool and angered you. You deserve vengeance. I have been__**wicked**__._

Merlin shook his head at the sitting figure, eyebrows knitted in an expression which could only have been utter bewilderment.

_What do you_ **want**,_ Mordred?_

Another smirk appeared and he didn't hide it this time, deciding now was the time to reveal the aching passion that had been growing inside him since he and the warlock had first met. He craned his head upwards to meet the eyes of the startled dark-haired sorcerer, whose gaze fell upon him like an ocean, making him shiver.

"I want you to punish me..."


	6. Cold reality

Merlin wondered if Mordred had truly gone mad. He searched his eyes for a hint of insanity, but found none. Only hungry, painful lust.

"You don't know what you're saying…" he muttered, "How could I-?"

_Punish me, Emrys,_ Mordred repeated, more venom in his speech this time, _I have wronged you. Now punish me._

Merlin backed away from him, hating himself for feeling afraid, "You're insane. There's no way I-"

_I'm not asking anymore Emrys,_ The druid boy rose to his feet, advancing menacingly, _I'm **begging** you. Punish me. _

The words made Merlin feel sick. For a moment, he was tempted to flee the room then and there. But the approaching footsteps disgruntled him and Arthur entered with another servant.

"Merlin..." the king addressed the serving-boy and then the knight with a raised eyebrow, "...Mordred?"

"My apologies, sire." Merlin said quickly, "Sir Mordred wished to have his armour polished."

At this, Mordred regained his shy composure and nodded.

* * *

The druid boy prowled around outside the king's chambers for the rest of the evening, listening to the screams and giggles that came from inside with a blank expression. The images of what was going on behind that door spiralled his magic out of control and suddenly all the candles in the corridor blew out. Now caved in darkness, he curled up beside the wall awaiting the serving-boy's return (which he knew would probably be a while) and soon fell asleep.

It was the early hours of the morning when Merlin finally left the king's chambers, knowing he had to be back before dawn otherwise Gaius would be asking questions. He was still sweating and shaky from the activity that had occurred in the bedroom only hours before and suddenly walking was difficult, due to the fact he was bleeding slightly. As soon as he set foot out the door, he tripped right over the sleeping figure and almost lost his footing completely, managing to steady himself in time. The slight kick caused the druid to stir and his eyes opened to the rather vexed expression standing above him.

_Mordred_, Merlin hissed, _Have you been out here all night? _

_I just wanted to be near you, Emrys. _

Merlin rolled his eyes and stepped over the druid, in the direction of Gaius' chambers.

_You made love, didn't you?_

The question caused a wave of embarrassment to pass through Merlin's gut, but it didn't falter his limped walking.

_What if we did?_

_Why him? Why him and not me?_

_Because I love him._


	7. Masochistic

**~ With thanks to Mango-llama **

**Warning:** This chapter contains mild spanking and mentions of abuse. If you don't like, please do not read.

* * *

Sexual intercourse had been painful, but worth it.

The bleeding stopped after a few hours and Merlin spent the rest of the day in his room, thinking over what Mordred had requested from him.

_Punish me._

The thought of Mordred lusting for sex was quite unsettling; he was no more of a child and to be that keen at his age was slightly worrying. Then again, the druid had lost his childhood long ago. He'd seen more disturbing imagery then Merlin would ever see. He couldn't blame the boy for being messed up in the head.

Someone knocked at his door and he hoped it was Gaius. It wasn't.

_Emrys?_

_Leave me alone._

_Please, allow me to speak with you._

_I don't have anything to say to you._

_Please Emrys, I beseech you. I have something I wish to discuss._

Knowing he wasn't going to win, Merlin allowed the druid to enter and sit on the bed next to him. Mordred had removed his chainmail and cape and was dressed in his usual attire, something which made him look eons younger. He gently reached over and folded a strand of hair behind the warlock's ear, glad that he didn't flinch.

_You're so beautiful, Emrys. _

Merlin snorted, _I'm not._

_You are. You're the most beautiful thing to walk this Earth._

Too tired to argue, Merlin replied,_ Thanks. _

The druid shifted slightly and leaned his head on the warlock's shoulder, something which sent waves of emotions rushing to Merlin's chest. He could easily push him away. But there was something about the child's tenderness which attracted him rather than repelled him and he reached a hand up to gently begin stroking the dark locks.

_Why won't you punish me, Emrys?_

Merlin went stiff again, but continued stroking, _Honestly? Because I don't want to hurt you._

_Ah, Emrys. You have every reason to hurt me. I have done so much wrong to you._

_That still gives me no excuse to hurt you._

_But I like being hurt._

Merlin pulled back and peered into the blue eyes that seemed so placid, "What do you mean?"

_I like being hurt._

"But why?"

At this, Mordred licked his bottom lip and turned to face away so Merlin couldn't see the sudden look of shame spread across his face,_ I never told you of my capture, did I Emrys?_

"Capture?"

_When I was fourteen, I was captured and taken hostage by a man named Balthazar, who kept me tied up in a cave in the forest and used me as a slave. He tortured me for months, he...he did awful things to me._

"What did he do?"

_I...I can't remember what I did wrong. I think I let his horse wander off or something...and he told me to go to the back of the cave and take my clothes off...I had to sit there naked and then he came in and...he spanked me._

Merlin stared in disbelief, "How could anyone do that to a child?"

Mordred shrugged and went on, _I was so frightened...I think I wet myself._

"Oh Mordred..."

_And he just hit me again, harder._

"How did you escape from him?"_  
_

_My people came looking for me. They rescued me. I-I was such a mess...he'd torn my clothes and made me wear a collar. They found me chained to a rock, near death. _

Merlin edged a little closer to him, moving so he was talking over the druid's shoulder, "And how did you feel? When he hit you?"

Mordred took a few moments to breathe and replied in a shaky voice, "...I liked it..."

Within seconds of uttering this speech, Mordred turned and threw his arms around Merlin's neck, proceeding to weep against the elder's warm, tender skin. Merlin paused a moment, before slowly taking the druid in his arms and allowing him to sob out all the fear.

_I'm disgusting._

_You're not. _

_What kind of normal person enjoys pain?_

___There are lots of people like you. What you feel is perfectly natural, it can't be helped._

After the boy had settled down, he whispered, "What did making love feel like, Emrys?"

Merlin felt a smirk coming on, "It hurt. But it felt good."

Summoning up the courage, Mordred said quietly, "Please Emrys. All I want is to be punished. I have not experienced pain in so long...I need a rush."

"You're too young for sex."

"I don't want sex. Well...not _yet_. That can come later. For now, I just want you to hurt me."

"Like what?"

"Beat me, flog me, spank me. Anything."

Merlin shook his head, "I-I'm sorry. I just can't do that to you."

Mordred looked around for a moment, and then suddenly the glass vase in the corner of the room exploded, sending fragments everywhere.

"Is that enough to get you to punish me?"

"No."

Mordred looked around again and suddenly the wardrobe doors flew open.

"Is that?"

"No."

In a final attempt, all the books from Merlin's bookcase fell to the ground, sending pages scattering everywhere. Mordred looked up at Merlin to see the verdict.

"Look Mordred, you can be as reckless as you want, it still won't make me want to inflict violence upon you."

Lust spread across Mordred's eyes and he lay his torso on Merlin's lap, _It's a shame, Emrys. It would make me very happy if you did this for me. Just this once. If it makes you feel better, you can imagine I'm Arthur._

Merlin sighed. He knew the druid wouldn't let up until he got what he wanted. Beating would leave bruises. Flogging was too extreme and besides, he had no whip or belt.

But spanking...

He pulled Mordred properly over his lap, earning a gasp from the druid and administered the first smack to the back of his legs.

_Emrys...  
_

Merlin flinched but kept going, as Mordred gasped and pressed his eyes shut.

Another slap, then another.

By the fourth, Mordred was beginning to sweat, a warm rush swirling up in his stomach. Merlin could feel his whole body shaking, going tense. He paused, hoping he wasn't inflicting too much damage.

_Don't stop. I beg you, Emrys, don't stop for a second!_

The fifth slap caused Mordred to cry out. He reached a hand up in a mock attempt to halt the punishment, but the warlock grabbed his wrist and pinned it behind his back, sending an aching stretch to his shoulder.

_Oh, Emrys!_

Mordred pulled himself up and pushed the serving-boy back against the bed, his head falling against Merlin's chest as he began undoing his own jacket and threw it in a heap on the floor. The natural fear of sexual activity returned and Merlin found himself unable to move as Mordred wet his neck with passionate kisses, moving a hand down to his crotch at the same time.

_I love you Emrys_, his voice sounded insane, _I **need** you._

For some strange reason, Merlin didn't feel the need to push him away. Instead, he allowed the kisses and waited until Mordred had fallen against him before speaking, "I've given you what you wanted. I punished you. So now you can forget me."

The body on top of him went frozen and Mordred slowly craned his head up to stare at him, "What?"

Merlin shuffled out from underneath him and slowly moved towards the door.

_Emrys!_

"The queen is due back today." Merlin said without turning around, "I must visit the king before she arrives."

_Emrys, please, don't do this to me!_

Merlin reached for the handle, "I want you gone when I come back."

Mordred started to weep, _Emrys!_

The door shutting was his only reply.


	8. How hearts get broken

"How's Guinevere?" Merlin asked, clearing away the two goblets from Arthur's table.

"In good spirits. It turned out her mother only caught a mild flu. Nothing to fret over."

"That's good."

Arthur seemed to be wavering a bit, glancing at the serving-boy every now and then. As Merlin made a move to leave, the king quickly reached out and took his wrist.

"Sit down a second, Merlin."

Not liking the tone of Arthur's voice, Merlin obeyed without questioning him.

"I want to talk to you…" the king trailed off and Merlin detected the smallest hint of red trail across from one cheek to another, "…about what we did."

At this, the serving-boy's face fell, "I see…you're ashamed of it."

"No, I-"

"I understand, my Lord. I'm only a servant, the idea of us ever actually being together-"

"I'm not ashamed at all." Arthur took his hand, gently stroking his knuckles with his thumb, "You're like no one else I've ever met, Merlin. What I felt the other night cannot be described in words. It's just…I've been thinking about my father lately."

"Your father?"

"I know he wouldn't approve of me having an affair. I made a vow to be loyal and faithful to Guinevere and-"

The raven-head's fist clenched, "So you want to end it? You want to end _us_?"

"Merlin, it's my duty to provide an heir for the kingdom and since you're incapable of that-"

"I understand." Merlin tore his hand away and got up from his seat, "I'm spoiled goods now."

"Merlin, that's not-"

"_Save_ it Arthur." Merlin's hand was already on the door, "To think I thought you actually…"

He refused to say it. He turned the handle and pushed the door open, ignoring the king who called after him desperately. He walked in long strides until his calves ached and he was forced to stop, resting his back against the wall and sliding down to dissolve into tears. What a fool he had been. To think Arthur had actually wanted something out of their relationship other then sex. He was just a reserve and he knew it. He had hoped that after some time Arthur would see past the fact he was male, make him his consort, divorce Guinevere, anything for them to be together.

He knew that was, and always would be, a dream.

He turned onto his side and sobbed some more, acknowledging the footsteps that approached him but choosing to ignore them. He was aware of someone standing over him, gently squatting down and touching his head but he only wept louder to frighten them away. They did not take heed and instead reached down to lift his chin, so he was gazing into the familiar eyes of the druid boy who was staring upon him with great concern.

_Emrys, my beloved, what's the matter?_

He peered down for an answer. Merlin's face was a quivering portrayal of grief and the knight carefully reached out to caress his cheek, expecting him to cower away. However, Merlin responded to it instantly. Knowing it was a mistake, but unable to control himself, he sunk his head against Mordred's chest and seized his arm, sinking his nails in harshly as his body racked with sobs. Mordred held him close, soothed him, stroked his hair and kissed him in an attempt to calm him down.

_Emrys, speak to me. Tell me who's done this to you._

Merlin could only stutter, "Ar…Arthur…"

_It's alright Emrys_, Mordred pulled him closer, _He will pay for what he's done._

Merlin barely heard him. He buried his face into Mordred's neck, snivelling at the gentle kisses that were pressed so tenderly upon his head.

_I will make him pay. _


	9. Revenge

The corridor was empty, apart from the few wandering guards floating about in the darkness. Moving quickly, Mordred took the shortcut to Arthur's chambers and after making sure no one was about, tried the handle of the door.

Locked, as he'd expected.

He gave a final cautious glance around before reaching a hand out and muttering.

_**Aliese.**_

The door automatically unlocked and he slipped in, making sure not to draw any attention to himself. The cold, silent darkness inside brought a great deal of fear and dread into his heart, but the weeping image of Emrys was an even worse torture and spurred him on. How dare the king mess with his beloved in such a way? Had Merlin not cared for Arthur so much, Mordred would have no trouble killing him. No, murder was not the answer this time. Arthur needed to be punished some other way.

As he squinted in the darkness, he recognised the sleeping figure of the queen with Arthur laying beside her; she was indeed a beauty but still, no beauty that compared to Emrys. It was a shame that she would be the one carrying the wounds of Arthur's doing, but it couldn't be helped. If doing this meant the king got his comeuppance, then so be it. After all, Mordred would do _anything_ for Merlin.

His hand hovered over her abdomen and after inhaling sharply, he felt his eyes flash gold – like the burning of a fire – and he cringed at her pained gasp as the sheets below her turned red from the sudden gush of blood that ran free from her gut.

By the time the pain had woken her and she'd succumbed into hysterical screaming, the druid was already gone.


	10. Infidelity

Something was amiss, Merlin knew it. Arthur had been floating around the castle like a ghost for months now, not speaking properly or directly to anyone. He was too anxious to eat. Sometimes he'd spend all day in bed, just thinking. Merlin never questioned him – he was still scarred from their last discussion. He didn't want to alienate himself further by poking his nose into the king's private affairs.

He completed his daily routine of clearing away the king's breakfast tray and then moved on to making his bed, a task which was a lot more difficult now the king was refusing to leave his bed. He'd just started folding the sheets back when Arthur leaned over and clamped his hand around the serving-boy's wrist.

"Sire? Is something wrong?"

Arthur looked distant, as if he was trapped in an invisible box. He kept looking at Merlin as if to speak; but then his tongue would curl back into his mouth again and refuse to come out.

"Arthur…" Merlin had not dared call him by his first name since their discussion, "…has something happened?"

"It's Gwen."

The answer came out too blunt. Merlin blinked.

"Guinevere? What about her?"

Arthur moved his hand down and curled it with Merlin's, "We've been trying for months now."

"Trying for…?"

"A baby." The king sighed and began gently stroking Merlin's knuckles with his thumb, "An heir to the throne. We thought maybe we were rushing into it to quickly but…Gaius examined her yesterday and…she's…"

Without continuing his sentence, he pulled Merlin down by his neckerchief and gently pressed a kiss on his lips.

"Sire…" Merlin pulled away, stunned, "What do you mean? I don't understand-"

"Don't you _see_ Merlin?" There was something wrong with Arthur's eyes, they had no colour in them, "We can finish what we started now. I've hated being away from you. Now we don't have to pretend anymore."

"What are you-?"

"_Infertile_ Merlin, she's infertile."

"Infertile? But how could that-?"

_I will make him pay._

Merlin felt he was going to pass out.

"It doesn't matter anyway." Arthur stood and ran his nose along Merlin's neck, "I don't need her. I have you."

"But she's your _wife_-"

"And_ I'm_ the king. And I choose to love you. Are you going to defy me?"

"N-no sire…"

He allowed Arthur to reach over and run his hands up his shirt, gently kissing at the warm skin. But his mind was somewhere else. He was thinking up some very ingenious ways of dealing with Mordred when he found him.

* * *

**A/N: I am going away for a bit so there won't be any updates until the weekend. Hopefully this chapter will do for now :)**


	11. Growing soft

As soon as Merlin entered his room he spied Merlin lying on his bed, obviously in deep thought. As soon as he was in sight, Mordred leapt off his bed and flew into the arms of the warlock, pressing several kisses onto his cheek.

_Oh, my Emrys!_ He sighed and kissed him again, _I thought you'd never return!_

"What did you do to Gwen?"

Mordred paused and, with some reluctance, pulled his lips away from Merlin's skin.

"Gwen? You mean Queen Guinevere? I…"

Merlin caught his wrist, "Don't you dare lie. I know it was you."

"I would never lie to you, my beloved Emrys." Mordred reached up and stroked his cheek, "Why would I bother lying? I have no regret with what I did."

"You'd crushed the king's hope of ever having an heir!"

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

Merlin opened his mouth, then realised he didn't know what he wanted, so he closed it again.

_He wronged you Emrys, he __**hurt**__ you. I swore he'd pay for what he did and he has._

Merlin didn't reply to this. He was unsure of what to do at this point. He knew he should be angry – angry for Gwen, for Arthur – but try as he might, he could feel no anger. After all, he now had what he wanted. So he thought.

"I don't know what I want anymore…" he muttered quietly, looking towards the floor.

The pain passed through to Mordred and his face fell slightly. He curled his arms around Merlin's neck.

"I know what _I_ want…"

Merlin glanced down at him, into the sweet blue eyes that had gazed longingly at him since the day they'd first met. The child inside the druid hadn't died; it was alive and fresher than ever. It made him smile.

He leaned forward and pressed a gentle peck on his lips – not enough to be a proper kiss, but enough to shock the druid into silence. His eyes widened and he looked upon the warlock with great excitement.

_Emrys…_

Merlin cupped his cheek a moment, and after stroking it gently with his thumb for a while, pulled himself out of Mordred's arms and returned to the king's chambers, dreading what was going to happen within the next few hours.


	12. Sweat and fear

Merlin slipped into one of the palace's storerooms and after reassuring himself that no one was there, changed into his night garments. The king's orders – it saved a lot of time as there was less clothing to rip off. He slipped his boots back on and reached Arthur's chambers without being seen, which he was grateful for. He knocked once and the door opened.

"I've been waiting for this all day." Arthur said as soon as he was in, "I've been aching for it."

To his surprise, Merlin merely blushed and bent his head.

"What's wrong?"

When the serving-boy refused to respond, Arthur reached out and took his chin in his thumb and forefinger, lifting his face until they made eye contact; though Merlin remained tense and nervous.

"Merlin?"

"Nothing…" the raven-head muttered, lowering his eyes again as the king gently caressed his cheek, "…I'm just…"

"Nervous?" Arthur laughed, "You needn't be. Gwen is dining with her brother tonight. We have the whole evening to ourselves."

He leaned over to craftily sneak his tongue into the boy's mouth; and though Merlin gritted his teeth slightly at first, he eventually relaxed and allowed the snake-like object to gently explore his mouth. After a few minutes, Arthur pulled away and whispered into his ear.

"Go over to the bed and bend over."

Suppressing the cold shiver within him, Merlin obeyed and carefully treaded over to the bed, bending down and pressing his front against the mattress. He was well aware of Arthur coming up behind him; lifting the hem of his nightgown so his bottom half was exposed to the cold night air, gently running a hand up his thigh and over to his backside, rubbing the soft, pale skin. He gasped as his cheeks were parted and Arthur inserted himself, slowly thrusting into him. There wasn't as much pain this time – more a slippery wetness that sent a rush through his body. His stomach felt warm and his heart started racing, sweat coursing down his forehead like the breaking of a dam, hot torrents of water that dripped down his nose and down his chin.

It didn't feel right.

Even as the pace of the thrusting increased, Merlin found himself unable to do anything but utter small, false moans of pleasure. It was no fault of his own – he just couldn't feel anything.

When Arthur withdrew himself, Merlin found he could breathe again and sunk his face into the bed as he felt the king collapse on top of him, a tired, disorderly mess.

Neither of them spoke. There wasn't enough air to do so.


	13. A clean break

"Are you feeling alright Merlin?" Gwaine asked the serving-boy, who was currently staring into space instead of polishing Arthur's shield, "You seem a bit off today."

"I'm fine." Merlin said quietly, shifting on the bench slightly.

His rear was still sore from yesterday's antics.

"If you say so." The knight dropped down beside him, "Are you sure it has nothing to do with the king?"

At this, Merlin flushed red, "Of course not."

He went back to rubbing, only to have Gwaine put a hand on his wrist and move the piece of metal away.

"You can stop lying to me Merlin." He said with a raised eyebrow, "I already know."

Merlin paled, "Know what?"

"Of the goings on between you and the king. How you've become Arthur's personal harlot." He laughed at the serving-boy's expression, "Calm yourself, I won't tell anyone. I think you're a very lucky man to have bagged the king of all people."

"I hadn't realised I was making it so obvious."

"Best friends notice these things. And besides, I saw you leaving Arthur's chambers in your night-wear last night."

Merlin winced, "I forgot you patrol the corridors at night." He hunched up nervously, "Are you ashamed of me?"

"Of course not. Though I don't approve of Arthur being unfaithful to the queen, I have nothing against you two being together. I understand that it is not traditional for the king to have a man as his consort but times change, you know?"

"I suppose…"

He could feel his friend's eyes on him and try as he might, he could not avoid them. He gave up trying to hide and instead looked towards the smiling knight with slight fear.

"There's one thing I _can't_ understand though."

At this, Merlin flinched slightly, expecting criticism, "What can't you understand?"

"Well…" Gwaine tossed his hair, playing the fool, "Arthur's body is all very well but…" he punched his chest, "Have you felt this hunk of iron lately?"

Feeling his confidence come crawling back, Merlin giggled and reached over to carefully press his fingers against Gwaine's solid chest, "I can't argue. Arthur can't compare to this."

"And as heartbroken as I am that you belong someone else, I wish you all the best."

Merlin simpered like a maiden.

"May I make a request though?" The knight went on.

"Of course."

"Well, Arthur will probably have my head for this but…"

Before Merlin knew what was happening, Gwaine had leaned across and pressed their lips together. Had it been anyone else, Merlin would have felt afraid. But this was Sir Gwaine; he and the serving-boy had been flirting since the day they'd met. It was all harmless fun. And the kiss – merely a playful way of showing each other's affection for each other. There was nothing sexual about it at all. They'd kissed before. It was all just friendly banter.

After they'd pulled away, Merlin noticed his neckerchief had become caught in Gwaine's chainmail and whilst pulling it out, he suddenly lost his balance and fell backwards, only to be caught by the knight before he hit the ground. However, not being a very agile fellow, Gwaine found himself on the floor too as he soon realised the serving-boy was heavier as he looked. They lay there for a while, chuckling and pretending to wrestle, until Gwaine finally straddled him and sat on top of him in triumph.

"I win." He said, flexing his muscles.

Merlin grinned, "You cheated."

"Here's a constellation prize then."

He bent down and gave Merlin a small peck on the lips, only for the door to open that minute and startle them both.

The colour drained out of Mordred's face when he feasted his eyes upon Merlin lying on the floor, with Sir Gwaine on top of him in what looked like a lover's embrace. For a second, water welled up in his eyes and his fists clenched.

"Ah…" Gwaine sank his teeth into his bottom lip, "…this isn't what it looks like?"

Merlin was suddenly paralyzed to the ground, unable to move. Mordred stared at him, stung. All of a sudden one of the windows shattered, sending glass everywhere.

Gwaine frowned, "What the-?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Mordred had leapt forward and pushed him against the wall and within seconds, twisted his arm into a horrific angle until a deafening crack echoed against the walls, accompanied by a yell from the knight. A kick to the stomach sent the druid boy to the floor and his face struck the surface, sending blood rushing from his head down through his nose, creating a scarlet waterfall down to his chin. Merlin ran to Gwaine immediately and cradled his broken arm for him as Mordred picked himself up and hissed like a cat at the knight, giving him the appearance of a wild animal.

And then all of a sudden, the king entered with the other knights and upon seeing the bloodied Mordred all set to attack, Percival rushed forwards and caught him up in his large arms before he could move. For a moment, the boy was foolish enough to attempt to struggle with the biggest knight but then realised his delicate composure was nothing to compare with the broad frame he was entangled in, so he quickly relaxed. After checking Merlin was unharmed, Arthur quickly pulled the serving-boy off the floor and into his arms, allowing Leon to examine the damage done to Gwaine. He stared at the wounded, murderous looking child in front of him, then to the broken window and the fallen glass. He frowned.

"What the _hell_ is going on around here?"


	14. Punishment

"There is one thing I will not tolerate in this kingdom." Arthur spoke down to the druid who was knelt before him, eyes focused on the floor, "And that is violence towards a fellow knight."

Mordred said nothing in return. He kept his head down and colour filled his cheeks; the presence of the other knights in the throne room was too humiliating for him. He only dared look up at Merlin, who was standing behind the king. But the raven-head refused to meet his gaze. He had every right to.

Gwaine had been permitted to Gaius' chambers, where the physician confirmed what everyone had expected – a clean break. How such a delicate looking child managed to inflict that kind of injury upon a man twice his size was a mystery.

"I can't imagine what possessed you to do such a thing." Arthur continued, "But as you very well know, I cannot let this go unpunished. You are hereby stripped of your knighthood until further notice."

At this, Mordred's head whipped up and amongst his unshed tears he cried, "No!"

A wave of shock passed through the others and found its way to Arthur.

"You _dare_ raise your voice to me?" He thundered at the child who cowered in his presence, "I could have you executed on the spot for that!"

From her throne, Gwen shifted uneasily.

"_Remove_ your armour Mordred." Arthur said with all the ice left from his soul.

His entire body went numb, cold from the glares cast upon him from every pair of eyes in the room. Fingers trembling, the boy raised his hands to undo the clasp of his cape, only to have Merlin step forward and intervene.

"My lord, _please_." He addressed Arthur humbly, wondering if he should get on his knees or not, "Sir Mordred was only doing his duty. He does not deserve such punishment."

Arthur frowned at him, "What are you saying Merlin?"

Not wishing to land Gwaine in boiling water, Merlin said, "There was an incident with the armour…" he broke off, eyeing the king foolishly, "…it was too heavy for me…"

Arthur eyed the faint bruises on Merlin's wrists and winced.

"I fell over." Merlin did his best to look pained, "Sir Gwaine went to assist me and then Sir Mordred walked in and…" he cast a thoughtful gaze towards the druid, "…he must have assumed I was in trouble."

"In trouble?" Arthur was now truly baffled, "What kind of trouble?"

Mordred bent his head again. The painful silence was suddenly interrupted by Arthur's husky laugh.

"What? You thought Sir Gwaine was attempting to _molest_ my manservant?"

"He acted on his instinct, my Lord." Merlin said quietly, "He's only a child, he jumped to conclusions."

"And here lies the problem." Arthur spoke down to the boy again, "A knight must be able to control his anger, not abuse it."

"I'm begging you sire, show him mercy this one time." Merlin reached out and, without anyone else seeing, brushed his knuckles gently against the king's.

The touch seemed to settle Arthur and after he'd examined the petrified face of the youngest knight once more, he finally gave a solemn nod.

"Very well. Due to the circumstances, I will overlook this incident this one time. And this one time _only_."

Mordred almost collapsed with relief, "Thank you, sire."

"But that still doesn't mean your actions will go without punishment. You are suspended from the training grounds for a fortnight. And while I and the other knights are out hunting, you will stay behind and accompany Merlin with his errands."

Mordred sank his teeth into his lip to stop a grin coming out.

__**~oOo~**

_I knew it._

Merlin glanced at the druid boy, who was sitting cross-legged on the warlock's bed, staring at him with adoration.

_Knew what?_

Mordred grinned his cattish teeth,_ I knew you cared_.

The raven-head realised he wasn't blushing and wondered why, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mordred reached out and pulled the taller man onto the bed, surrounding him in a hug before he could attempt to distract himself by pretending to sort out his bookshelf.

_Thank you Emrys_, Mordred looked up at him with shiny eyes, _I don't know how I can thank you_.

_Don't think I'm happy with what you did. Gwaine's my friend you know._

_He was trying to steal your affections._

_He was being __**friendly**__, you jealous clott_.

_Oh…I'm sorry_.

_Just don't do it again_.

_Whatever you say_.

Merlin sighed and cuddled him back, resting his cheek on top of the curls that felt so soft and comforting. An idea flashed across his mind and he grinned.

"Personally, I don't think the king's punishment was quite harsh enough."

Mordred raised an eyebrow, "No?"

"No. I believe you deserve a more sound punishment for that tomfoolery you pulled earlier."

"Such as?"

Merlin rubbed their noses together, "Seeing as I'm your errand buddy for the next two weeks, perhaps we should start with one of the king's riding crops?"

Mordred kissed the tip of his nose, "My bottom hurts just thinking about it."


	15. Past scars

**~ With thanks to Mango-llama**

* * *

"Is there anything you're scared of Emrys?"

Merlin thought a moment, tracing his brain. The druid boy was curled up next to him, legs entangled with his, head rested against his neck so his chin was comforted by the softness of his brown locks.

"Yes." He replied honestly, "Lots of things."

"Like what?"

"Death, war upon Camelot…dogs…"

Mordred gave a puzzled smile, "_Dogs_?"

"Indeed. The great Emrys is afraid of dogs."

"Why?"

"I was attacked by one when I was a child." He sighed, rubbing his fingertips against the druid's hair, "Scarred me for life. I don't know, I'm just not really a dog person."

Mordred shrugged, "I suppose that's fair."

"What about you?" Merlin asked after a few minutes of silence, "What are _you_ afraid of most?"

He felt the body leant against him go stiff.

"I fear no one." Mordred replied, "Only…"

There was a hitch in his breath.

"Only the man who tortured you?" Merlin answered for him.

He could feel the boy nodding his head in agreement.

"…I just remember his voice." The druid whispered, "He was so angry…it wasn't my fault, the horse was too strong for me. It just got away…he hit me and I could taste blood. Then he told me to go to the cave and…take all my clothes off. I just sat there, cold and wet until he came back with a belt. Then he told me to get across his knee and…"

He trailed off and allowed a few tears to fall, some of them wetting the soft skin on Merlin's neck.

"I've never been so frightened…"

He was aware of the two arms wrapping around him but for a moment, he was too lost to respond to them. He allowed his heart and eyes to leak and he pressed his face against Merlin's neck to sob out tears he'd bottled up for years now, the tears he'd never allowed anyone to see.

_It's alright_, Merlin's voice seemed melodic, floating in his head, _You're safe now, he can't hurt you anymore._

Mordred finally allowed himself to start breathing again and sniffed, "I know…"

The room was filled with a tense silence, as Merlin ran his fingers through the boy's hair and listened to the hammering of his heart against his own chest.

_Have you ever killed a man, Emrys?_

This froze Merlin's blood and he thought of Agravaine.

"Yes…" he inhaled slowly, "Yes, I have."

_Then we are more alike than you think._

It took Merlin longer than it should have to acknowledge what the boy was implying.

_No…you-?_

_Yes Emrys. I killed him. I cut his throat with his own knife when he was sleeping. And I would do it again, without hesitation. _

Merlin sat up, looking down at Mordred in horror, "You _murdered_ him?"

"Yes!" Mordred's voice rose and his eyes welled up again, "And I regret nothing! I did it so he'd never hurt another soul again! I did it so his filth was wiped off the earth for good! How can you judge me Emrys, when you have killed a man yourself?"

"Not in cold blood!" Merlin snapped back, stunning the druid into silence.

_I thought you would understand…_

_I do. You were hurt and angry. But that is still no excuse for murder, Mordred. I've only ever killed to defend those I love. Any reason other than that is invalid._

_You don't understand what I went through._

_I can understand how it must have felt to be tortured._

_Torturing me is only __**half**__ of what he did._

_What do you mean?_

Mordred fell silent and sat up, shuffling away from Merlin as his hair fell into his eyes to hide his face.

"Do I have your word that you will not be ashamed of me, Emrys?"

"Mordred-"

"Promise me!" He pleaded, "Promise you will not think little of me after I tell you this."

Knowing he was probably making a major error, Merlin replied, "Alright. I promise."

Mordred accepted this answer and slowly began.

"I…I'm not a virgin, Emrys…"

Merlin double glanced.

"What? You mean you _bedded_ him? You _bedded_ your captor? That's vile!"

"Emrys!" Mordred spun around, eyes turning wet, "You promised!"

His anger and shock settling, Merlin nodded, "I'm sorry. But Mordred, how could you have…you're only a _boy_!"

"No more of a boy than you are! And you think I _wanted_ to do it?" Mordred cried, "He chained both my arms to one of the rocks! He made me lie there, naked on the floor. And then he…"

He plunged his face into the crook of Merlin's neck and allowed his walls to collapse around him. He clung to the older man, leaving nail marks in his skin.

"He raped me Emrys." he wept, gasping for air, "He _raped_ me…"

Merlin felt himself go cold and all of a sudden, his limbs were stiff. He bent his head and buried his face into the soft depth of the boy's hair.

"When he was finished...he called me a _whore_." The child couldn't contain himself, his voice was only a whisper.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered tenderly, "Mordred, I'm sorry."

"Hold me." Mordred whimpered, "Please…"

Merlin did so and the firmness of his arms made the druid feel safer. His whole body began to shake and deciding he couldn't hold it in any longer, he leapt into the deep end and pulled the warlock in for a kiss.

It was soft and tender when their lips met and to the druid's excitement, Merlin didn't pull away. It was better than he'd imagined - only the raven-head's lips were sweeter than he'd anticipated. He moved a hand down to Merlin's crotch again and gently stroked, longing to remove them and have his way with the warlock once and for all.

Then Merlin pulled away and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

_I love you, Emrys._

He didn't expect a reply. But it came without any mistake.

_I love you too._


	16. Sefa's fate

**A/N: I know that Sefa isn't currently present in the series, but I wanted an excuse to kill her because I hate her guts :) Enjoy!**

* * *

"I can't understand why you're always complaining about this." Mordred remarked, folding Arthur's robes into the basket supplied by Gaius, "It's easier than-"

"-removing your cape?" Merlin snorted, "Try darning Arthur's socks for him. _That's_ a task."

Mordred looked even younger in the servant's robes he was ordered to wear - it was all part of his punishment – and the dryness of the fabric made him itch and left rashes all over his body. But if it meant being closer to his beloved, it was worth it. He sidled up besides Merlin, pulling his arms away from his work.

"Kiss me."

Normally he wouldn't put his neck on the line like that, but Merlin decided to damn the consequences for once and let his heart do the thinking for him. They pressed their lips together and soon the king's clothes were forgotten – replaced with an hour long session of deep passion which moved from the table to the bed. As soon as he felt his back against the soft sheets (which should have been washed a while ago)Mordred put both arms around the warlock's neck and snaked his tongue into his mouth; feeling the warm, wet cave inside. It was like a game of cat and dog, the way their tongues chased each other. And after he'd withdrawn it and wiped his watery mouth, he pulled the neckerchief from around the serving-boy's neck and began kissing at his favourite place; the soft, white neck that was always tinted pink after being touched.

_I love you so much, Emrys. Do you love me?_

_I've already answered that question for you._

_But do you mean it? Do you really love me? Are you going to leave me for your king again?_

_You know I have no choice over what Arthur does with me._

_Do you still love him as well?_

Merlin sighed, "I think Arthur has forgotten the meaning of love."

"He will be vexed if he discovers what we're doing on his very own bed." For a moment, the druid's eyes gleamed, "Imagine how far we could go…"

Merlin grinned and ran his tongue along the boy's bottom lip.

The footsteps that passed through the hallway alerted them and Merlin pulled himself to his feet again as the door opened stiffly, giving Mordred time to pat down his hair and redo his collar. One of the serving-maid's entered with a laundry basket and was quite startled to see both men standing before her, looking rather flushed.

"I'm sorry…" she blushed at the sight of Merlin, "I didn't realise-"

"It's fine, Sefa." Merlin replied, "I'm sure the queen has plenty of clothing for you to carry."

She smiled at this – a sickening, simpering smile that made Mordred flinch with irritation.

"I'll go and check on her. I know she's been a bit under the weather recently…" the maid trailed off, nibbling the dry skin on her lip, and seemed prone to speaking again before Mordred cut her off.

"You better go quickly." He stared right into her eyes, never blinking, "Otherwise you might find yourself without a job."

_Mordred_, Merlin hissed telepathically.

It was satisfying to see the smile wiped off her face. Bitterly embarrassed, she nodded at the serving boy and left in a haste. Mordred smirked.

"What is _wrong _with you?" Merlin snapped, "She's done nothing wrong!"

"Don't be a fool; I saw the way she was staring at you. She's a harlot, nothing else."

"She's a perfectly nice person-"

"And she wants you for herself, I know it."

"You're paranoid."

"Am I?"

Merlin took both his hands, "Forget her." He started kissing his fingertips, "As I recall, we were in the middle of something."

Anger flashed in Mordred's eyes a moment, but the gentle touch from the warlock seemed to calm him and he managed a delicate, but genuine smile.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Come here."

He gripped the servant's front again and they finished what they'd started.

**~oOo~**

Sefa hadn't been working at the palace for long. She was a reserved but good natured character and a loyal servant to the queen. No one knew of her family. Her background was a mystery. Yet she was welcomed with open arms into Camelot and everyone seemed fond of her.

Another thing that was obvious – her affection for the king's manservant, Merlin.

It started off with the obvious giveaways – sly looks, glances, deliberate bumping into each other in the corridor. And when it came to talking to each other, her cheeks would light the room and she'd find it impossible to speak in proper sentences. It was only a matter of time until she gathered the courage to speak to him properly. And then, maybe, something would come out of it.

She finished her duties and bid the queen goodnight, before returning to her own chambers. She felt a slightly eerieness as she changed into her nightdress and prepared the sheets for bed; but she assumed that was because the window was open so she shut it. The tension hung around, the feeling that she wasn't alone, so she locked her door as a precaution and after a long while of sitting up and listening for any kind of movement, she managed to drop off the sleep. Had her eyes been open, she may have seen the figure move towards the bed in the darkness. She may have seen the hands reaching out for the pillow beside her, gently taking it out from underneath her bed. She may have seen the pillow come down and cover her face, but by then, as soon as she opened her mouth to scream, the air was stolen from her and she choked.

She never opened her eyes again.


	17. The secret is out

"I have to hand it to that boy." Gwaine flexed his arm painfully, "He knows how to make a clean break."

Merlin reached over and touched Gwaine's elbow, which was now cradled in a sling, "Does it still hurt?"

"A tad. But nothing a knight can't handle." A wince followed this statement.

Merlin went back to polishing Arthur's boots. Gwaine didn't have to be there, but Mordred had been keeping himself scarce lately and he assumed the serving-boy would need some company.

Merlin eyed him guiltily, "What Mordred did was-"

"Understandable." Gwaine cut him off, lips twitching into a smile, "Though I still can't quite believe he thought I was trying to deprive you of your virginity."

Merlin's cheeks flushed red.

"I'm just glad the boy got to keep his head."

The servant rubbed harder, "So am I."

A scream diverted their attention to the door and one of the maids suddenly entered in a fluster, almost slipping against the stone floor. She was white as a sheet, arms trembling, barely able to stand on her own two feet.

"Anna?" Merlin frowned, "What's-?"

"Murder!" She screamed, running forwards and almost collapsing into his arms, "Murder!"

"Murder?" Gwaine repeated, "Who's been murdered?"

Before she could even move her lips to speak, the maid blacked out in Merlin's arms.

**~oOo~**

"Cause of death was asphyxiation." Gaius examined the pale, delicate body before him, "Do you have any input Merlin?"

The serving-boy felt his bottom lip tremble, and he fought not to regurgitate at the sight of Sefa's body, stiff and lifeless on Gaius' autopsy table. He looked at every inch of her, searching for signs of abuse.

"There are no marks on her neck." He muttered, "So she wasn't strangled. "

"Anything else?" Gaius willed him to move on.

Merlin scratched the back of his head, trying to ignore the horror swimming in Gwaine's eyes.

"Slight swelling of the lips suggests…" he broke off, rubbing the back of his neck, "…she was smothered."

"For almost ten minutes." Gaius said grimly, "It seems our killer must have shown a lot of hatred towards her. He wanted her dead quickly."

Merlin's head was spinning. The door to Gaius' chambers suddenly burst open and Arthur entered with several guards behind him. At the sight of Merlin, relief filled both eyes with water.

"Merlin…" he seemed lost for words, "Thank the Gods, you're-"

His eye fell upon Sefa's body and he looked stung.

"What happened to her?"

"She was smothered during the night, sire." Gaius replied in his usual stiff manner, "I believe she was murdered."

"That's ridiculous." Arthur scoffed, "Who would want to murder a serving-girl?"

"Did she have any lovers?"

"Not that I know of."

"Perhaps Guinevere knows." Gwaine cut in.

"Perhaps. I'll question her later..." he seemed lost for a moment, "…We'll arrange for a proper funeral."

Gaius nodded and the guards went to remove the body. Before he could leave, Arthur caught Merlin's wrist and murmured, "Can I have a word?"

Knowing he had no choice in this, Merlin nodded and followed him out of the door.

**~oOo~**

As soon as they were in the corridors, Arthur dragged the serving-boy into one of the doorways and proceeded to plant six or seven passionate kisses onto his lips, something which Merlin hadn't been expecting.

"Sire…" he managed to stutter between breaths, "Sire, what are you-?"

"When I heard there was a servant found dead…" Arthur brushed their lips together, running his hands up Merlin's shirt, "…I feared that it was…"

Merlin laughed nervously, "Who? _Me_? And let you run this kingdom on your own? No chance."

Arthur chuckled but his eyes were slightly glassy, "I'm glad you're alright Merlin."

They kissed again, more delicately this time, and Merlin began to feel less and less wrong-footed. Mordred and Arthur had different ways of kissing; Arthur pushed for dominance and preferred to devour the inside of the servant's mouth, whereas Mordred was soft and sweet and a lot more tender.

He liked _both_.

"Arthur…" he sighed, putting a finger against the royal's lips before he could make another move, "…Arthur, we can't keep doing this."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Merlin, I keep telling you. Gwen won't find out. We'll break it to her slowly-"

"It's not just about Gwen, Arthur. I…I just don't…" he knew he was lying to himself so he stopped.

Arthur watched him nervously, "What are you saying?"

"…I've found someone else Arthur…"

A flicker of pain appeared the cerulean eyes, only to be blinked away quickly, "Yes, well, that's nothing new-"

"I mean it Arthur. I'm in love with him, I can't help it."

"So you care for him more than me?"

"No, I…" Merlin leaned back against the walls, helpless tears beginning to form, "I…"

"Just _say_ it Merlin." Arthur was truly vexed now, "Why do you love him more than me?"

Merlin put both hands on his head, the tears spilling, "I love you both…"

"Who is he? Is it Gwaine?"

"No! No, we're just friends-"

"Who then? Who has stolen your affection?"

"Merlin!"

The sound of Mordred's voice startled them both and they hastily pulled away from each other as the druid boy bounded into view. He was unusually happy that morning, despite the turn of events. Upon seeing Merlin, he immediately leapt into his arms, hiding a smirk at the king's expression.

"Merlin, where have you been? I've been waiting." He rubbed his cheeks against the older man's shoulder.

The raven-head tried not to look in the direction of the king, but unable to try and hide any longer, he ended up staring into the sorrow filled eyes which reached across to him, asking him why.

"There's a huge drama going on with the servants." Mordred commented, still ignoring Arthur's presence.

"Sefa has been murdered." Merlin replied bitterly.

Mordred resisted a smirk, "What a pity. She'll be missed."

Arthur bit down his tongue to prevent a scowl. Satisfied with his growing temper, Mordred slid his hand into the warlock's.

"We have errands to run Em- I mean, Merlin." He allowed his thumb to gently stroke the pale knuckles, "We mustn't be late."

Merlin cast a look back at Arthur and somehow, though he hated himself for it, found pleasure in his distressed, pained expression. For a moment, he almost smiled.

"I will be in your chambers before suppertime, sire." He said in a tone similar to pity.

He curled his hand around Mordred's and they left down the hall together; and as soon as they were out of earshot, Arthur took it upon himself to turn and hammer his fist against the wall several times until his knuckle split and several trails of blood found its way down to the floor.


	18. Mordred's confession

"Did you _see_ his face?" Mordred chuckled, twisting the water out of one of Arthur's tunics, "He looked as if a ghost had passed through him. I'd pay any amount of money to see him do that again-"

"It was you, wasn't it?"

Judging by the way the druid's body went stiff, Merlin guessed his suspicions had been correct.

Mordred tried shake it off and continued twisting, "I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Don't give me that." Merlin marched over and spun him round, "I think you snuck into Sefa's chambers yesterday and suffocated her. And I think I know why too. Because you're a jealous little brat who can't stand it if I so much as_ look_ at someone else-"

"She was trying to steal you." Mordred hissed, "She wanted you all for herself!"

"Did you honestly think I'd ever be interested in a _serving-girl_? You're such a _fool_, Mordred!"

"I told you! I told you I'd do it again! I'll get rid of anyone who tries to steal you, no matter what the cost!"

"That's insane!"

"Why do you _protect_ her?" He and Merlin were nose to nose now, not realising it was probably wiser to communicate telepathically as they were slowly raising their voices without realising it, "She was nothing but a harlot!"

"Mordred!"

"She was and everyone knew it!"

"Have some _respect_!"

"I will not! And don't even think about telling the king! He'd never believe you!"

"Of _course_ he would! If you're capable of almost snapping a man's arm in half, you're perfectly capable of murder!"

"Just because you're the king's personal slut, doesn't mean he'll take your word for granted!"

The boiling anger inside Merlin erupted then; probably because he knew it was true but refused to see the situation in that light. He reached out and his hand collided with the skin of Mordred's cheek, creating a sound that bounced off the walls and hung around for a while, making his ears rattle. The slap made the druid's head jerk to the side and he ended up losing his balance altogether. He found himself on the floor, head slamming against its solidity. The pain brought tears to the eyes.

Horrified, Merlin went and pulled him back to his feet.

"I'm sorry." He tightened his grip when he felt Mordred attempt to twist away from him, "Are you hurt?"

The boy shook his head and a drop of blood rolled down his temple.

"Gods..." Merlin leaned over and kissed the smear of red away, "Forgive me, I never meant to-"

_Thank you for that, Emrys. Thank you for punishing me. _

The warlock felt as the smaller body snuggled like a cat against him and rubbed his nose against the base of his chin. He wondered why he wasn't afraid. He was opening his arms out to a murderer. Not only that - possibly Arthur's Bane.

He could easily kill the druid then and there. Then all his internal conflicts would be over.

He felt the warm cheeks rubbing against his own; one of which was now marked with a large red handprint.

_He could easily..._

Shaking his head, he hunched over, pulling the druid closer.


	19. Little squirrels

**~ With thanks to Mango-llama**

* * *

"Are you _sure_ it's wise to come on a hunting trip just days after getting out of your sling?" Merlin hissed to Gwaine, keeping himself crouched in the bushes at the same time.

"It was better than sitting around all day, listening to that servant make jokes about brass."

"I suppose..."

Merlin didn't really like hunting, but seeing as there was no one else to carry the supplies, he figured he'd tag along as well. So far, they'd been stalking the same doe for almost half an hour without any success (probably due to the fact that Merlin kept sneezing everytime they got close to it.)

In the end, Arthur ordered the group split up and go to separate ends of the forest in order to lure the deer out. Arthur's group went into the lower parts and Percival's headed for the part of the forest where the land sloped upwards into hills.

"Ye Gods, that blasted doe better be worth it." Gwaine muttered, slipping on the wet grass as the group attempted to climb the vast hill before them.

Merlin, who was more able footed than he looked, had already made it to the top of the hill and cheekily called down to Gwaine, "We're not getting any younger up here! Put some muscle into it!"

The serving-boy turned and stared down at the slope which seemed to travel for miles, right into the sea of golden autumn leaves that nestled at the bottom. There had to be hundreds of them; wet slimy things that looked like small droplets of fire from that height. He wondered what it'd be like to fall; to skid down the hill and land in the softness of the golden bed below. He wondered how it'd feel to fall from such a height.

"Emrys-?"

The hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his dream and scared the living daylights out of him. As his body lurched, his foot slipped on the wet ground and as Mordred grabbed his collar to prevent him from falling, his foot slipped also.

The situation could not have been more ironic.

It all happened so fast, Merlin wondered it it'd actually happened at all. The next thing he knew, he had landed into the golden layers, Mordred tumbling after him. Picking himself up and spitting out a mouthful of dead leaves, the warlock caught a glimpse of the druid's legs poking out and quickly pulled him to the surface before he suffocated.

Gwaine and Elyan poked their heads over the top of the hill, blinking at the figures below.

"Ahoy down there!" Gwaine yelled, "Are you two alright?"

Merlin shook the water out of his hair and grumbled.

"Emrys..." Mordred sank his teeth into his lip, "I've just thought of something."

"Oh really?" Merlin said dully, "What?"

"We look like little squirrels..."

It really wasn't that humorous, but Merlin found his body suddenly descended into a fit of giggles. Mordred joined him and the two of them clung to each other, sniggering like maidens for no reason at all.

Arthur had never made him laugh like that.

**~oOo~**

"Any luck?" Percival asked when they'd met up with the others.

Leon grinned and lifted the deer carcass, "We got her."

Arthur's expression didn't match that of his fellow knights. He was too busy glaring over at the two youngsters who were sat next to each other against a tree trunk, still giggling.

"What's the matter with _them_?" The king asked harshly.

"They've been for a trip down the hill." Elyan snorted with laughter.

"I have to admit," Percival shook his head as the pair took to exchanging an Eskimo kiss, "They make an endearing couple. Wouldn't you agree, sire?"

Arthur didn't reply.


	20. Lovebirds

"And _that_ gentlemen!" Gwaine addressed all the men at the table, his voice slurred, "Is how I almost bagsied myself the finest maiden in the land!"

The sound of laughter echoed across the table and Percival slapped Gwaine on the back, almost causing a miniature waterfall as he'd decided at that moment to take a large gulp of his drink. Arthur spared himself from the liquor; he was to preoccupied with glaring at the two younger men in the corner. They'd deliberately distanced themselves, he knew it. And Guinevere's attempts to direct his attention away from them did not pay heed to his temper. The whole reason he'd held this bloody banquet was because he needed a distraction. But now, being stuck next to his clinging wife whilst being forced to watch his beloved serving-boy practically in the arms of another man on the other side of the hall, he began to question whether his state of mind had been correct when he made that decision.

"Do you hate me for what I did?" Mordred asked the sorcerer, remembering to keep his voice low.

"I know I should, but I don't."

"That's why I love you Emrys. You can accept anyone, no matter how dark their past."

"I love you. I don't know _why_ but I do. And due to that fact, I can forgive you for anything."

"Even murder?"

Merlin shrugged, "I have killed before so I cannot judge. Though not for the same reason-"

"You said you only kill to defend those you love. Well, that's exactly what I did."

"I suppose you're right, in that sense."

The raven-head turned his attention back to the table where the knights were sat and flushed as he felt the eyes of the king drill into his own.

"He's _still_ staring at us." He muttered, turning his head away again.

Mordred's eyes narrowed a moment, flashing with hate and anger. Then he smirked.

"Why don't we give him something to look at then?"

Merlin needn't have opened his mouth to ask what he meant. In seconds, Mordred had pulled him in and thrown both his arms around his neck, tongue thrusting in and out of his mouth as they exchanged their most passionate and possibly wettest kiss. They didn't stop when they heard silence descend upon the hall. They didn't stop when the knight's laughter came to a drunken halt, or when the maidens gasped and started pointing at them. They didn't stop when they heard one of the youngest servants snicker. They carried on; because at that moment they were the only to people in the world. They only stopped when a cry came out from Gwaine.

"So this is what's been going on in Gaius' chambers?!"

This statement was followed by assorted laughter. The physician rolled his eyes.

Gwaine lifted his goblet, "I propose a toast! To the new lovebirds!"

The knights roared with laughter and lifted their goblets also, "To the new lovebirds!"

Merlin felt Mordred press his cheek against his chest and from the way his face changed, he was grinning.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Gwaine went on, "Finish what you started!"

That, and the yell of agreement that came from the other knights got Merlin's heart racing. Within seconds, Mordred had pulled him into another kiss and the hall fell into deep applause; surprising, as when Uther was king, this kind of action was unheard of.

The only person not overjoyed or baffled by the situation was the king himself, who could only glare as Merlin - _his_ Merlin - lifted the druid boy off the floor and in response have the druid wind his legs around his waist to get the crowd going again.

"This is an excellent wine." Gwen commented, when the excitement had died down and everyone was back to conversing with one another again, "Have you tried it yet Arthur?"

The king was mute. His teeth gritted as Merlin leaned over and placed a soft but meaningful kiss on the druid's cheek.

"Arthur?"

Underneath the table, a gloved fist clenched as the two left the hall together.

Holding hands.


	21. Violent combat

When Mordred was permitted to join the knights back on the training field, Merlin was very skeptical. He wasn't entirely sure why; he was used to watching the young knight in combat, however this time he seemed wrong footed as he handed Mordred his sword, polished and ready to be used.

"Something wrong?" Mordred questioned him, flexing the weapon once or twice.

"No..." Merlin lied bitterly, "Just...be careful..."

The druid laughed and kissed him on the lips, "Do not fret. I'll be fine. I always am."

Merlin tried hard to believe him but the sight of Arthur approaching tied his stomach in a knot.

"Sir Mordred!" He called, "You and I, single combat! Unless you aren't up for it!"

Mordred gritted his teeth with irritation, "Bring it on."

It started off normally; hand tactics, dodging, crafting methods of wielding the sword which was meant to get the enemy shaking. Arthur had a lot more ferocity in his veins today, Merlin felt. He wasn't swanning through it like he usually did - he was together and focused, putting all his strength and energy into his movement until it was obvious Mordred was finding it hard to keep up. Their swords collided, locked and they lunged towards each other; nose to nose, hands pressing their weapons together until their foreheads leaked sweat.

"I'll claim him back you know," Arthur hissed through gritted teeth, "He _will_ be mine again."

Mordred smirked, "We'll just see about that."

They pulled away, almost slipping from the dense force and began again, moving every muscle in their body to gain the upper hand; to send the other to the floor and ultimately, to their defeat. After a while, the other knights began to sense something was wrong; normally by now they'd have called it quits and moved onto something else. But both stubborn men seemed hell bent on victory, for reasons the others were unaware of. There was only one prize at the end of all this and to the both of them, he was worth dying for. Merlin gazed, petrified at every thrust and pull, teeth chewing his nail until most of the skin had been bitten off. The clash of metal made his ears hurt and he soon realised this could be a fight to the death if no one intervened soon. In a moment of weakness, Mordred fell off balance, giving his opponent the opportunity to knock his feet out from underneath him. He gasped as the back of his head hit the ground and then something slashed painfully against his arm, making him scream.

When Merlin saw the blood, he knew he had to do something before someone was killed. Now in an impossible situation, there was no chance of Mordred escaping and Arthur seemed all set to bring his sword down and run it through the boy's gut for everyone to see. As the king threw the weapon back over his head, Merlin's eyes flashed gold, causing it to sweep out of Arthur's hands and stick in the grass below. Seizing the moment, Mordred crawled out from underneath him and carefully pressed his wounded arm around his stomach. Merlin ran to him immediately and allowed the druid to collapse against him, blood oozing from the open wound on his forearm. It spread all the way down to the elbow and spewed a red waterfall. Mordred began to tremble from the pain.

"Is he alright?" Gwaine came running over and squatted next to them, "Ye Gods, we better get him to Gaius!"

Merlin was mute. He stared at Arthur in disbelief whilst the king refused to meet his eye, casually wiping the blood off his sword.

"You really gave it to him." Leon muttered, removing his cape and wrapping it around the wound to reduce the flow of blood.

Arthur shrugged, "It happens."

"He's getting pale." Percival felt his forehead, "Merlin, we need to move him. He's losing a lot of blood."

"No, no, no..." Mordred whimpered when they tried to move him, clinging to Merlin as if his very existence depended on it.

"You have to let go Mordred, we need to get your arm fixed."

Reluctantly, Mordred let go and allowed Percival to lift him and begin carrying him to Arthur's chambers. Not even bothering with another glance at Arthur, Merlin got to his feet and quickly followed after them.

**~oOo~**

"You still have blood on you."

Merlin ignored the king and reached out for a cloth to wipe the stains off his jacket front. Mordred was currently being examined by Gaius, leaving Merlin to pace about in the hall. Irritably, Arthur hung around too.

"What is it about him Merlin?"

The serving-boy rolled his eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What does he have that I don't? How does he possibly make you happier than you were with me?" Arthur stared at him, awaiting an answer.

"You really want to know?"

"_Yes_!"

Merlin didn't bend straws, "He's kind, he's patient, he cares about what _I_ think."

"I can be all those things! If you'd just said-"

"It's not just that. There's so much more. He tells me he loves me everyday. He's waited for me, even when I was going to you. To him, I am more than a quick satisfaction Arthur. He loves me. For me."

Silence. And then a laugh.

"Quick satisfaction..." Arthur pretended to wipe away a tear, "That's what you think it was?"

Merlin frowned.

"Merlin..."

Suddenly the distance between them was barely anything, and Arthur moved so their noses almost brushed together.

"You're an even bigger idiot than I thought..."

Merlin opened his mouth, only for the door of Gaius' chambers to open and Mordred come out with a bandaged arm. Not a word was exchanged between he and Arthur, only a jealous glare. He went immediately to Merlin and hugged him with his free arm, just to spite the king.


	22. Foolish banter

"Merlin, what on _earth_ are you up to in there?"

Ever since their relationship had become a public attraction, Gaius found that the young warlock was becoming more and more distracted and straying away from the many chores he had yet to accomplish. This was understandable, as the boy was new to love and right now his head was probably stuck in the clouds. But that was no excuse for laziness.

"Merlin, my leech tank needs cleaning out. I don't know what's gotten into you but if you don't start pulling your weight around, I'll have no choice but to-"

He regretted opening the door almost immediately. He wished not to picture what was going on behind those sheets, but from the agonized grunts that escaped their lips, he had a clean idea. They sprung apart right away and pulled the sheets to cover their top halves, cheeks turning crimson.

"_Gaius_!"

Deciding his leech tank could wait to be cleaned until Merlin was actually wearing some clothes, the physician closed the door again and attempted to distract himself by making useless potions.

**~oOo~**

"Do you think he'll tell on us?" Mordred asked, head rested on the warlock's chest.

"Gaius? _Nah_." The heavy rise and fall of the man's chest as he took a deep breath comforted Mordred to some extent, "He won't tell. He knows what Arthur would do if he found out I'd made love to someone other than himself."

Mordred flexed his bandaged arm, "Why is he so possessive?"

"Because…well, because he loves me."

"But you don't love him. Why does he keep chasing you?"

Merlin decided not to reply to his, "I'm sorry I accidentally rolled on your arm while I was on top." He muttered instead.

Mordred chuckled, "That's alright. It felt great. Next time you should twist it just to go the extra mile."

"Mordred, that's horrible."

"But natural, remember?"

The would have continued the soft cuddling, had Merlin not realised he was due to bring the king his supper at any minute.

"I have to go." He murmured after managing to pull away from the boy's lips.

Mordred whined and clung to him, "_Stay_…"

"I can't." Merlin reached for his clothes and began re-dressing himself, "The king needs to eat."

Mordred pulled a face, "Do you promise you won't be long?"

"I can't promise. But I can try."

The druid decided this was a good enough answer and pulled his breeches and boots back on.

"By the way Emrys," The druid looked up and grinned his cattish teeth, "That was _amazing_."

"I don't know what you're so happy about. Poor Gaius is probably scarred for life now."

"I'm surprised he didn't punish us."

"He hasn't got the stomach for punishment."

"That's a shame…"

Merlin, now fully dressed, looked down at the topless druid and licked his lips.

"I suppose I can spare a few minutes before I go."

**~oOo~**

"Ow! _Ow_!"

"Do you feel like you've been punished enough?" Merlin landed another smack to the druid's backside.

"Oh no, Emrys!" Mordred giggled, "Not _nearly_ enough!"

The upside down angle sent blood rushing to the druid's head but he made no objection to being trapped between the warlock's legs while his lover delivered a hearty remedy to his rear end. After all, he needed it.

"Emrys, I bruise easily!" He chuckled and pretended to attempt to wriggle away, only for Merlin's legs to seize him tighter.

"_And_…we're done." The warlock landed the final swat and allowed the boy to crawl out from underneath him, "Have you learned your lesson?"

"Indeed I have Emrys." Mordred reached back and rubbed his backside, "I have learnt not to make love to you when your physician friend is around, as it may certainly cause him fatal cardiac arrest."

He ducked as a pillow was thrown at his head.


	23. Princess Mithian

**WARNING: This chapter contains strong violence.**

* * *

Princess Mithian was known as one of the fairest maidens in the land for a reason. She was raven-haired, silver-eyed and had a smile that could resurrect a man from death; as well as a bright personality to match. She and Merlin had always shared a special relationship. At first, Merlin hated her; mainly for the reason that she was betrothed to Arthur back at the time when he was madly in love with the king. But being the good-natured sweetheart she was, they soon became thick and her affection for him was apparent, though never in a romantic sense.

Upon one of her visits to Camelot, the two dined together in Gaius' chambers to catch up on old times.

"I'm glad you agreed to see me Merlin."

"I could hardly miss a chance to talk to you."

"You're so sweet." She gave a pretty smile, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

She waited to speak for a few minutes, "Merlin, will you keep a secret for me?"

The servant pretended to consider, "Depends. Is it worth keeping?"

At this, she blushed, "Yes…and I'm afraid I cannot hold it in any longer."

Merlin was aware of Mordred shifting behind Gaius' bookcase, obviously listening in, "I promise, your secret is safe with me."

She glanced at her plate nervously, "My father cannot find out about this-"

"And he won't. I swear to you, he won't hear a word."

She looked up at the ceiling and as her tears reflected off the light, she spoke on the verge of weeping, "Oh dear Merlin, it's you!"

Slightly shocked by this outburst, Merlin frowned, "Me? What have I done to upset you so?"

"Nothing! I am not upset! Oh Merlin, I fear I'm in love with you! No one has ever showed me such kindness and gratitude! You've been like a brother to me and hopefully, I a sister to you! I've spent an eon dreaming about you! Please, I beseech you-" She reached over and grasped his arm, "Tell me you feel the same way…"

Merlin opened his mouth but no words came out. He became sensible to Mordred's presence and heard the door slam, which made Mithian leap in her seat. He had listened till he heard her proposal and had not stayed to hear any farther.

"What was that?" The princess craned her head around to peer towards the bookcase, trying to catch a glimpse of the door.

Merlin dismissed this question, "Love? Mithian, why didn't you tell me before?"

"How could I? I'm a princess! I'm not supposed to fall for a serving-boy! But that doesn't matter to me Merlin, I love you. I always have!"

"And I love _you_, Mith. But not the way you want me to. You're like the sister I never had!"

"But I can be _more_ than that." Her other hand reached out and grasped his, "We can be together, Merlin. We could get married, we could have children…"

An image suddenly came to Merlin's head; the image of he and Mithian with a son and daughter, both with raven hair and bright blue eyes…

He shook the image away immediately.

"I'm sorry." He pulled his hand away gently, leaving her empty, "But that can never be."

She seemed prone to protesting, but thought better of it and nodded, allowing the tears to fall, "Is there someone else Merlin?"

Merlin pictured the druid in his mind and smiled, "Yes…very much so."

He reached over and laid a hand on her cheek, gently stroking, "I'm so sorry Mith…"

When the tears had subsided, a thin smile stretched across her lips and she rose from her seat; and when Merlin had risen too, she put both arms around his neck and pressed her face against his throat.

"You're a true friend, Merlin."

She leaned upwards and her lips touched the side of his mouth in a chaste kiss.

**~oOo~**

As soon as she reached her chambers, Mithian prepared for bed. She removed her necklace and earrings and then changed into her nightgown, carefully un-braiding her hair as she always did before she went to sleep. Blowing out the candle, she sighed when she remembered she'd forgotten to hang up her gown, and pulled herself out of bed to feel about in the darkness for it. When she reached the wardrobe, she leaned in to hang the dress up.

Something caught her wrist.

She screamed as a figure darted at her and suddenly she was being pressed against her mattress, hands on her throat, slowly suffocating her. Her hands lashed out and she stuck her fingers in the stranger's eye so he retaliated off of her, giving her mere seconds to cower back on the bed. She opened her mouth to scream again, but the hands returned to her throat, pushing down until she felt her neck would snap. She pulled back and kicked the figure in the jaw, wincing at the crack that was heard. In a flash of gold, the broken bone was mended and against the moonlight she saw his face, diamond-blue eyes glaring down at her with mock pity as blood dripped like red rain from his nose and mouth.

"Whore…"

He took her throat again and tossed her onto the floor, smirking as she hit the wall. She allowed both eyes to fill up with water and they slid close, falling steadily down her cheeks. She didn't want to focus on crying, but the tears kept coming.

In a last attempt to keep herself alive – as her voice seemed to have died away with her spirit – she began crawling towards the door. Her intruder lurched towards her and whipped out a dagger, stabbing her in the hamstring whilst holding her mouth to muffle the pained scream that escaped her lips. She sank her teeth into the flesh until it jerked away and continued crawling; though now she was fading from loss of blood and leaving a trail of red behind her. He sprang out again and stabbed her other hamstring, until she came to a halt and lay in a bleeding, sobbing mess.

Her assaulter seized her dark locks and pulled her head back until it was resting on his shoulder. She felt the cold steel press against her neck and, as the heat of blood rushed down her legs, the last thing she ever heard was his voice.

"_You'll never have him_."

She opened her mouth and screamed, as Mordred twisted the blade to the right and sliced her throat.


	24. The wrath of Emrys

"Those for Arthur?" Leon teased as the serving-boy passed him in the hall, "Frankly, I don't think they're his colour Merlin."

"Very funny." Merlin sniffed the bunch of lavender he was carrying, "They're for Mithian. She's due to return to her kingdom this morning."

"Is that your parting gift?"

"You could say that."

"Then I may as well accompany you to her chambers."

"Have you seen Mordred lately?" Merlin asked as they made their way to the princess' room, "He didn't come to bed last night."

"Perhaps he was having a night wander?"

"Maybe…you don't think he's found someone else do you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Well…he overheard I and Mithian talking last night and-"

His legs suddenly stopped working. The hands that held the lavender shook.

"Merlin?"

His mouth twitched to reply. Mithian's door was open, though if the maiden had any sense she'd have closed it. Something was wrong.

_Ye Gods, he hadn't. _

He allowed the lavender to slowly fall from his hands and raced into Mithian's bedroom, Leon following close after him. As soon as he entered he knew there'd been some sort of struggle; a chair was tipped over, the bed was a mess, there was blood all over the floor…

Blood everywhere.

And there lay poor Mithian, cold and paralysed, ice white and stiff all over. He waited for her to move; to start crying, or cursing, or something.

She didn't. She just lay there stone cold.

"Mith. No, no, no, Mith." Leon went and lifted the dead figure, as if hoping his touch would cause some movement, "Mith, you can't be-"

Her hair fell away from her face, exposing her slashed throat. It was still dripping blood.

"Call Gaius…." Leon gasped, as Merlin stood there in shock, unable to move his limbs, "Merlin, get Gaius!"

**~oOo~**

The whole palace was in a frenzy. Mithian's death would not go unnoticed and the king feared her father would reign war upon Camelot for her murder. This being a possibility, he announced for his guards to search every inch of the kingdom for the killer and imprison those who withheld information.

He needn't have gone to all that trouble. The murderer was living within his very walls.

Merlin had spent most of the afternoon crying into Arthur's neck in the privacy of the king's chambers and when he had finished grieving, his sorrow was replaced with full blown anger.

_MORDRED!_

He threw open the door to his room and looked about for the druid, who was nowhere to be seen. But he was there, Merlin could feel it. The stinging presence in the small space they shared; he could practically hear his heartbeat through the floorboards.

_Mordred, come out. _

Seconds later, the boy cautiously poked his head out from underneath the bed, eyes carefully finding their way up to meet the blazing balls of fire that had replaced Merlin's pupils. Merlin immediately reached out to grab him, only for the child to scream and scramble under the bed again until it was like a game of cat and mouse. In the end, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and Mordred was dragged from his hiding place, nails scraping across the floor in a failed attempt to get away. No sooner was he within reaching distance, he was grabbed by the neck and pinned against the wall, a hand clasped against his throat, feet not quite touching the ground.

_Emrys_, he gasped.

"I know it was you." Merlin's voice was poison, the grip tightening so talking back wasn't an option for the druid, "I ought to snap your neck."

Mordred enjoyed pain but not to this extent, "Emrys, please forgive me-"

"_Forgive_ you?!" the warlock almost laughed, "I'll kill you first!"

He reached out and grabbed the wounded arm, twisting it so the knight screamed in pain.

_Didn't you want me to do this? Didn't you beg me?_ Merlin grinned at the tears that fell, _Say it! You killed her!_

"Don't…." Mordred kept whimpering, eyes dripping water from the pain, "…please, it hurts…"

_Say_ _it!_

When he squeezed again, Mordred surrendered to the pain.

_Yes, it was me! I killed her! I slit her throat and I killed her! You can't blame me! You were the one who was planning to run off with her and have children behind my back! So let me go!_

He slipped out from underneath the servant and crawled under the bed again, voicing his upset by sobbing out loud. The fire within Merlin's soul slowly crawled back down into the dark depths of his heart, into the cage where he always kept it hidden. His eyes went blue again. He could breathe properly.

It felt good letting it all out.

He went and sat on the bed, listening to the mournful weeping for just a bit longer.

_Please don't hate me Emrys._

He refused to reply. He thought of Mithian and the last conversation he had with her and his eyes watered.

_Emrys, I had to do it._

He covered his ears but he knew it wouldn't block out the sound. When he could feel the boy sliding out from underneath the bed and attempt to put a hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it off, hands still plastered on his head, closing his eyes so the tears wouldn't escape.

_She was trying to come between us Emrys_, he could feel warm lips against his ear, _she had to go._

Merlin shook his head, "No…"

_She just wanted you for herself. _

"She was my friend-"

_She was a __**whore**__._

He sank his teeth into his lip, body shaking, "Mith…"

_You have__** me**__ Emrys. I will never let anyone hurt you, _He pulled the warlock back into a hug and brought a hand up to caress his hair, _You don't need friends. Friends are liars. _

His eyes flashed gold and he pulled the warlock into a kiss; an embrace that sent waves shooting down Merlin's throat until he had to claw at the druid's shoulder to get away.

_You're __**mine**__ Emrys. _

Merlin didn't reply. He sank his head into the druid's lap and lay there, cold fingers slowly running their way through his hair. All of a sudden, the whole world seemed dark.

_I'm __**yours**__._

And for a second, his eyes ran red.


	25. Possession

"You understand Emrys?"

The reply came out cold, emotionless, "Yes..."

"You trust me, don't you? You know I won't let you down."

"I know."

Mordred spoke into his neck, his breath creating heat upon the skin, "You were never meant to serve under Arthur Pendragon. You were meant to reign above him. You are worthy of the throne, not him."

"Yes."

Mordred started sucking on his throat, then pulled away to breathe, "I have a plan, Emrys."

"What sort of plan?"

The druid smirked, "I can do more than break windows, Emrys. I can do many things. Choke someone just by looking at them. Turn a dog on its master. What I have in store is certain to win the throne for both of us."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Let's just say I have a few friends in the forest." He wound his arms around the warlock's neck, "With their help, Camelot will be ours."

Merlin bent down and stuck his tongue in his mouth, feeling around for a few minutes before pulling it out again. He smiled, lips wet and gleaming.

"Tell me more."

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I know, short chapter. **

**You think the horrors started? Nope. It's only just begun. **

***evil chuckle***


	26. Wolf massacre

The woodland was quiet first thing in the morning; giving the knights plenty of time to prepare for a morning's hunt. After tying up their horses, they'd stopped and made camp in the glen between the trees, the centre of the forest. Whilst Gwaine and Percival passed the time with a bit of sword practice, Arthur carefully approached Merlin who was sitting by himself on a log and sat down next to him.

"How have you been?"

Merlin shrugged, putting Arthur in a more impossible situation. If the serving-boy refused to make conversation, he'd just have to make some himself.

"I know Mithian was dear to you."

The raven-head went stiff at the comment but ceased to reply.

"Words cannot express how sorry I am. She was a friend to me too."

Merlin had to blink to prevent the filthy gold colour swimming into his eyes. It was getting more and more difficult to hold back the poison in his veins and he turned away before Arthur saw. Suddenly a flock of birds flew out of nowhere, making them all jump. A result of another burst of angry magic. When he assured himself that he was calm enough to speak, Merlin turned back and took a deep inhalation of breath.

"Yes..." he replied in a soulless voice, "...what did her father say?"

"He is in mourning." Arthur replied grimly, "He wants us to find whoever did this and hang, draw and quarter them."

"Understandably."

"We need to find this monster Merlin." Arthur's voice was low and harsh, "Before he takes another life."

Merlin felt cold. A chill passed through the air and Arthur felt it too. He looked around at the knights; to Gwaine and Percival who had given up proper fighting and were now having a wrestling match on the floor, to Elyan who was talking with Leon and the others who were either dozing, eating or laughing at the tomfoolery going on between the two childish knights.

There was someone missing.

"Has anyone seen Mordred?" He addressed the others with a concerned tone, glancing around again incase he'd missed him.

Gwaine and Percival stopped wrestling and glanced around also.

"Brilliant." Gwaine said with great sarcasm, picking himself up, "We haven't even started the hunt yet and we've already lost the littleun."

A crashing sound was heard nearby and the sound of someone crying out. No doubt who that voice belonged to.

"Ye Gods." Arthur muttered, "He's in trouble."

"I'll go." One of the knights, Sir Pellinore, stepped forward and drew his sword, "It may be dangerous."

"He's probably got his finger caught on a thorn or something." Percival scoffed, "Don't worry."

"Be careful!" Arthur warned, as the knight disappeared between the trees, "Bring him back safely!"

**~oOo~**

Mordred had every reason to make such a noise. He'd already made sure to slip away without anyone noticing. And now he was in an open part of the forest. He sat himself under a tree and quickly took out his dagger, which he kept firmly in his belt for emergencies. He ran the blade along his palm, remembering when it was stained with the princess' blood and smirked. He then glanced at his arm, that had only just mended and gritted his teeth. This would be painful, but for his beloved Merlin it would be worth it. He carefully undid the bandages and with a flash of his eyes they burned to nothing, falling to the ground as ash.

He kept reminding himself to breathe as he took the dagger and, with great strength, slashed it across his arm once.

The scream travelled further than he thought it would and he wiped his dagger across the grass to smear away the blood as he cradled his bleeding arm to his chest. The pain was horrible, yet excitable at the same time and he found himself crying and laughing without reason to. The sound of footsteps alerted his senses and he started sobbing, hiding his face in his knees until someone came up beside him and gently touched his shoulder.

"Mordred?"

He glanced up and did his best to mask his disappointment. Not Arthur, as he'd have preferred. But still, Sir Pellinore was handy bait. He went back to crying and stuck out his bleeding arm that was now oozing red liquid all down his elbow.

"I-I fell." He whimpered like a child, "My wound reopened...it _hurts_."

"It's alright." Pellinore tore off his sleeve and wrapped it around the bloody arm, "You're going to be okay. I'll take you back to Arthur."

The boy stopped crying. Almost automatically. His head lowered and the knight could have sworn something crossed his lips. A wince of pain? A sudden grimace?

No. It was a smirk. Without a doubt.

"Mordred-?"

The boy's head whipped up and the man could see his eyes had changed; they burned like fire and drilled right into his soul. His teeth glittered white. He looked mad.

Before the knight could even move, something shot out of the trees and suddenly Mordred's face was specked with blood.

**~oOo~**

The agonised screams that came from afar made Arthur sit up and he craned his head towards the trees; the sound of tearing flesh startling him and the others. Without speaking, he grabbed his sword and charged in the direction Sir Pellinore had headed, only to reach a deserted area where the grass was stained red. His first instinct was to call out; had he not heard movement in the trees. Sword ready, he listened for footsteps but heard none. Just a soft padding, closing in on him.

Something darted out and he turned, sword ready. Mordred collapsed on the floor before him, a sobbing mess, face spotted with blood.

"Mordred." He put his sword back in and ran to the boy, supporting his heavily bleeding arm, "What happened? Where's Pellinore?"

Mordred could barely speak properly, "He-he-he's all over there..."

He pointed to the longer grass that was covered in blood and that's when Arthur could see the body parts scattered around. Parts of the knight's cape were shredded on the floor.

A low growling could be heard.

Arthur gripped Mordred protectively and pointed his sword towards the noise, though it seemed to come from every direction. Between the trees ahead of him, something suddenly came forward; eyes blazing, mouth dripping red water.

It was a wolf the size of a bear; black ragged fur, torn ears, a tail that flicked like the end of a whip. It didn't have any pupils. It was chewing a severed arm, bones crunching slowly as it adjusted to the taste. When it examined the fresh meat in front of it, it lost its appetite and spat the meal down in front of them, its growl thickening. At the sight of the arm, Arthur's vision flickered.

"Mordred..." The king knew to keep his voice low in the presence of such an animal, "...run."

He released the druid, who turned and started fleeing back to camp. Sensing the change of movement, the wolf shot forwards, giving the king seconds to wield his sword and slash its throat. The blood came out black and sticky and the animal roared in its pain and anger, as Arthur raised the weapon to put it out of its misery and tore the blade through its head. As soon as it was still, he drew out the weapon from the carcass and wiped the black stuff off. There was no way this was over. Wolves didn't travel alone; they travelled in packs. He could already feel them circling, smelling him out, sensing the blood.

He then realised there was a hunt going on. And he'd just taken the bait.

He turned and followed Mordred's path; the last time he'd run this fast was when he was a child and he'd caused an uproar in the village market, so the local shopkeeper was after his hide. He was aware of several four-legged animals running either side of him but focused only on getting to the others before someone else was killed. As soon as he was in the clearing again, he yelled and the others realised they were under attack. Merlin huddled next to a tree trunk, Mordred curled up to his chest as the others grabbed their weapons and formed a circle, lying in wait for their pursuers.

Soon, only the sound of the wind could be heard.

Merlin could hear each and every troubled heartbeat; they travelled through the forest floor and into his ears, making him smile.

This would be memorable.

Within seconds, another black shadow shot out from the trees and smothered one of the knights, grabbing his throat with the intent of decapitating him. Percival surged forward and drove his sword through its spine before it did so, only for another one to come out of nowhere and wrestle him to the ground. They all sped in from different angles and took each knight by surprise; Arthur ducked as one flew over his head and watched helplessly as it sank its teeth into one of his friend's legs and dragged him into the bushes to claim its prize. No sooner had he turned onto his back, the king was staring into the red eyes of another; a large one which dripped saliva into his face, making him grimace. He plummeted his sword into its mouth and kicked it away from him as it uttered its last dying groan. Merlin and Mordred watched from the tree, unfazed and with no need to run; as one of the wolves approached them thoughtfully, then recognised them not to be strangers and left them alone. The druid watched with pain as Arthur beheaded another of them and swore that every death would be avenged. There was no way the king would win this fight; there were too many of them. Attempting victory would be suicide.

It was getting rather dull.

With a flash of his eyes, Mordred sent out a warning signal and the wolves stopped in their tracks. Then within seconds, they turned and fled back into the trees, until only their distant howling could be heard. Arthur pulled himself up and wiped the moisture off his face, trying to suppress his heart which seemed set to explode. He hadn't felt fear like that in years. What had just occurred was simply uncanny.

"Is everyone alright?" He looked around at the knights, who fortunately seemed to be carrying only a few minor flesh wounds.

"Owain..." Percival said quietly, squatting down beside the knight with the bleeding throat, "...we need to get him to Gaius!"

"They'll be back!" Arthur called, "We must leave quickly! Saddle the horses!" He turned to the servant and the druid boy, who hadn't moved from their positions, "Are you two alright?"

Merlin painted a picture of terror on his face and nodded. Mordred seemed too struck dumb to reply.

"We need to get your arm seen to." Arthur stooped down and carefully pulled the druid up, "You can travel with me on my horse."

"No." Mordred said abruptly, then remembered himself and softened his tone, "Please. With respect my Lord, I'd much rather ride with Merlin."

The servant noticed the hint of jealousy returning, but Arthur blinked it away and nodded, "As you wish."

Merlin accompanied the druid to his horse and helped him mount it, and whilst Arthur was busy tending to the wounded knight, they looked at each other and shared a delicate but definitely genuine smile.

_We have done well, Emrys. _


	27. Bringing down the king

"_Purhhæle licsar min_."

The druid stiffened as Merlin gripped his arm and a blinding light suddenly appeared accompanied by a scorching heat. It was an old healing spell and, according to Gaius, a crude one. Mordred sank his teeth into his lip as the blood burned back into his skin and soon the wound as no more. Emrys was an impressive physician.

"That hurt." The druid stated plainly.

"It's painful, but it works." Merlin went and washed his hands in the basin, "It's a very old healing spell. It heats the skin to coagulate the blood and that helps cauterised the wound."

"You never cease to amaze me, my darling Emrys."

"Neither do you." Merlin went and placed a soft kiss on his lips, "Your plan is genius."

Mordred blushed, lowering his head to hide the flattered smile, "I wouldn't say _that_."

"How do you get them to follow you like that? They do anything you say."

"I could spend hours explaining it to you. But that would be boring." Mordred ran a finger over the warlock's bottom lip, "Why don't I show you instead?"

**~oOo~**

The woods was a lot more sinister at night, but beautiful all the same; Merlin could recall many times coming out with Arthur and counting the stars together. The king seemed like such an old memory now. He'd forgotten what he felt like.

"What is this place?" Merlin asked when they reached a small cave-like area, with a stream running near it.

Mordred's breath was shaky, "This is where I was held captive."

The serving-boy examined the rocks and nodded, "I see."

"That's where he tied me up." Mordred pointed to the largest rock that was in the centre of the hollow, "And..."

Merlin wrapped his arms around him, "He's gone now. He's dead. In death, he can never come after you. You have to remember that."

Mordred reached up and felt the warlock's hand, "Thank you Emrys."

A distant howl caught their attention and Mordred looked up towards the sky.

"They're calling me."

Before Merlin could question him, he cupped his hands over his mouth and howled back; a husky calling noise made from deep within the throat. No doubt he had learned to speak to these animals from someone. His knowledge on how to communicate with the creatures intrigued Merlin greatly. No sooner had he finished calling, a she-wolf came padding out of the darkness and on seeing Mordred, her ears relaxed and she went to greet the druid.

"How do you get them to come to you?" Merlin asked, as the boy crouched to his knees and began stroking the animal between the ears.

"When I was a prisoner here, I befriended the animals of the forest." Mordred replied, looking towards the sky again, "When my captor was absent, the wolves would come and clean my wounds for me and in return, I'd give them my food. When I murdered the bastard, I fed his corpse to the wolves so no one would find his body. Then, after I was rescued, one of my old tutors taught me how to communicate with them. I learnt an old spell which turns their way of thinking; now all they know is to follow and obey _me_. With my enchantment, they have grown larger and stronger than most of their species and they're capable of tearing a man in half with one blow. With them by our side, we will overturn Camelot and no one will be able to stop us."

Merlin crouched beside the druid and held out his hand for the wolf to sniff.

"Are you sure they'll be enough to bring down the king?" He questioned.

"I can assure you dear Emrys. One bite can turn a man into a dog almost immediately. They haven't got a chance."


	28. The mask of Sir Leon

"Something isn't right."

Elyan and Percival turned and glanced at Leon, who was currently watching Mordred doing hand stands against a tree with Merlin laughing at him, "What?"

"Yesterday those wolves attacked everyone but Mordred and Merlin," the knight went on, "They barely even glanced at them. Why would they go for us when there were two easy kills sitting right in front of them?"

"You heard what Gaius said," Percival continued sharpening his sword, "The wolves were enchanted. Who knows what they were thinking. And Owain's going to be fine, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Besides, we probably just walked into the middle of a hunt. It's our own fault really." Elyan added in.

Leon looked back at the boys; Mordred had just tumbled over onto his back and now took to chasing Merlin around the field for laughing at him, until he managed to tackle him to the floor and attack his body with a series of violent tickles.

"No." The knight replied, eyes twitching, "It's _him_."

"Leon, what are you talking about?"

"Whenever he's around, bad things happen." Leon's eyes fell on Mordred, who was currently kissing the servant's neck, "Think about it. He was absent from fire watch the days Sefa and Mithian were murdered, he broke Gwaine's arm with one blow and now he's attracted the forest's deadliest animals right into Camelot."

"Leon." Elyan shook his head, "That's nonsense-"

"It's anything but nonsense." Leon stood quickly, "You don't have to believe me, but I know it's true. Haven't you seen how_distant_ Merlin has been lately? Mordred's done something to him, I know it."

"Well, he has been acting a _little_ different-"

"You can't possibly think Mordred is a sorcerer?" Percival laughed, "He's a _child_."

"He's not a child." Leon's voice was dark and hollow, "He's a demon. He's been sent from hell to destroy us all. He's already killed two people, who's to say he won't kill more?"

Percival put a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off.

"Leon-"

"I want answers. And I'll do whatever it takes to get them."

**~oOo~**

_Yes Näna, I know,_ Mordred looked sympathetically down at the starving she-wolf, who hungrily licked at his hand,_ You will be fed soon. I promise you._

He turned his attention to the new litter that was awake and kicking; nestled in the safety of the bushes where she'd given birth. There were eleven or twelve of them, all black furred. When their eyes opened, they'd be red. Mordred had enchanted them already.

Something moved behind him and his head whipped around. He hissed at the wolf to return to the bushes and quickly crawled under the bundle of thorns that separated him from the glen. As soon as he found his way out, he was met with a pair of boots and as he stared upwards, he stared into the questioning eyes of Sir Leon.

"All alone?"

Mordred refused to allow his body to jerk at the voice and quickly brushed the stray wolf hairs off his cape. He gave the older knight his sweetest smile.

"Sir Leon, what brings you to the woods this time of night?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

For a moment, the druid's cheeks flushed pink, "I...I needed some air."

"I wish to speak with you."

"About what?"

Leon cut to the chase, "Where were you the night Mithian was murdered?"

The boy looked remotely surprised by the question, then stated with nervous laughter, "I was with Merlin all night. Why?"

"Funny. Merlin told me you disappeared and never returned to his chambers."

Mordred hadn't expected this response. He'd run out of excuses.

"I..." He trailed off, feeling a fool.

"Stop lying Mordred." The knight had never sounded so harsh, "I already know."

The druid's lips trembled.

"Here's what I think. I think it was _you _who killed Sefa in her sleep. I think it was _you_ who cut Mithian's throat and left her to die in her own blood-"

"Leon, that's madness-!"

"- I think it was _you_ who turned those wolves on us the other day. And I think you're capable of much more."

Mordred hid his growing fear with a smirk, "Are you calling me a sorcerer?"

"That's exactly what I'm calling you."

Time seemed to slow down around them and all of a sudden the wind picked up around them; the trees jerked violently and the clouds turned grey in the sky as they gathered together with a deafening roar. Mordred looked towards the ground as the grass whistled around them, "You're a clever one, Sir Leon."

"And _you're_ insane."

"You just couldn't keep your nose out, could you?"

"You murdered the only woman I ever cared for!" The knight thundered, voice choked from angry, unshed tears.

"You and _Mithian_? Ha, how _pathetic_! There was only one person she had eyes for and he belongs to me!"

Leon's eye narrowed, "What have you done to Merlin?"

"_Emrys_ is where he should be now; on _my_ side. Together we will overthrow Arthur, rule Camelot, bring back the Old Religion, restore it to how it _should_ be."

Leon looked stung, "You're _twisted_."

"Can you _blame_ me? Having to sneak around all the time, pretending to be like everyone else? I'm _sick_ of pretending Sir Leon! I am worthy of more than a measly knighthood, much more!"

"The only place you're going to find yourself is tied to a burning stake." Leon muttered, "When the king is through with you-"

"So you're planning on telling the king?"

"Try and stop me."

The boy chuckled, "We'll see."

He suddenly clenched his fist and Leon's hands immediately went to his throat as he started gasping for air; as all of a sudden invisible hands were clamped around his neck and pushing down with a dense force.

"There's no point in running to Arthur." He grinned, teeth sparkling, "He won't be able to understand a word you say."

His eyes flashed gold and all of a sudden, something moved in Leon's body and travelled through his veins, making them stand out in his head and arms. He gasped and suddenly he was thrown forwards onto his hands and knees as his back shape changed and arched; his clothes slowly ripping off as his spine grew more flexible and hair began shooting out from under his skin. Pain shot through his teeth and they grew, as did his nails; they got longer and curled downwards, the edges razor sharp. Soon his uniform was nothing but a pile of ripped clothing scattered everywhere and a tail shot out of nowhere, striking a tree trunk like a whip and tearing a piece of bark off. Mordred grinned at the colour drained out of his eyes and his pupils disappeared. In their place, his sockets went red.

_You will do as I command_, the druid told him.

Leon felt a hand reach out and gently touch his snout.

_You are now under me. And you will help me bring down the king. You will not stop until your teeth are stained with his blood. You hear me Leon? I want him __**dead**__._

The wolf barked angrily and then lifted its head to the moon and howled with the wind.


	29. Night torture

Arthur stared down at the courtyard below, as the guards extinguished the last of the beacons, plunging the palace grounds into darkness. He sighed and hid his face in his arms, pressing his forehead against the cold windowsill as he did when he was a child. He was aware of someone entering the room, their breath hitching as if they were considering speaking to him, then changing their minds. Their walking pattern was light footed, so he guessed it was Guinevere. In no mood to see her, his body tensed as they approached and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

It wasn't Gwen's touch, he knew that.

"You're troubled, my lord."

He flinched at the sound of Merlin's voice but didn't react to it, "You are right, Merlin."

"You needn't fret. I'm sure Sir Leon will be found soon. He's a responsible knight, he can take care of himself."

"Which makes _me_ an irresponsible king." Arthur sighed and pressed his face into his arms, "I'm a disgrace."

"There now, of course you're not." Merlin soothed him, hand gently rubbing his back, "You cannot have known he would go missing like that."

"But what about Sir Pellinore? Mithian, Sefa? I allowed them to die. And I led us all into a trap which sent a fellow knight to his death. A king is supposed to look after his people." His voice caught and he choked, "If my father were here-"

"Hush..." Merlin leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on his hair, "Everything will be alright. We'll find Leon, I promise. We'll bring him home."

"He's dead Merlin." Arthur shook his head with sorrow, "Everyone knows it. He's probably been torn apart by now. And it's all my doing."

"I won't listen to you degrade yourself like this." Merlin stooped next to him and put an arm around his shoulder, "I still care greatly for you Arthur and I refuse to allow you to speak of yourself like that. You're an excellent king and you know it. Don't let this change your way of thinking."

Arthur looked down at the courtyard again, trying desperately to hold back the tears. He was unsuccessful, as one found their way down his face.

"Oh Arthur..."

The king turned and pressed his face into the servant's neck, hand clinging to his arm as he spoke in a tone similar to a whimper, "I'm frightened Merlin."

After some thought, Merlin held him and pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead, carefully reaching out to brush away the delicate tears, "It's alright to be afraid Arthur."

Then the king replied with something the servant hadn't been expecting, "I-I want my father, Merlin..."

"Your father?"

He felt the king nod, "I don't know why, I just...whenever I felt like this he would come to me and...I miss his touch."

He cut off and buried his face into the serving-boy's neck again, glad that he could finally let everything out.

He didn't see Merlin smiling.

**~oOo~**

It was the scream that awoke Merlin first. It was close and he realised in seconds that it was Mordred, jerking about on the bed beside him. He was talking to someone.

_Papa! Papa, don't go!_

"Mordred..." Merlin gently shook the druid, "Mordred, wake up!"

_Papa, don't leave me!_

_"_Mordred, sssh. It's alright."

Merlin sat up and started trying to soothe the sleeping boy, who was thrashing desperately now. He caught his arms before he injured himself and brought him to his lap, whereupon Mordred jerked awake and the warlock was ready to comfort him when he descended into terrified sobs.

"Sssh, there now Mordred, it's alright..." He allowed the druid to cling to him until his neck ached, "Don't cry, it was just a nightmare."

"My father..." Mordred wept, "...he's dead Emrys, he's dead."

"I know, little one."

"I want my Papa, Emrys. I want my Papa..."

"I know." That's all Merlin could think of to say, "I know..."

After he'd run out of tears, the druid pressed his wet cheeks against his lover's chest and sighed, "I'm such a _child_."

"Everyone needs to cry now and then."

"But here I am, crying over something as pathetic as a dream. Aren't you ashamed of me, Emrys?"

"Never, Mordred."

"I don't deserve you, Emrys."

They held each other for a bit longer, until a distant howl sounded from outside and they both turned their heads to the window. Mordred's lips curled up into a smile.

"It's time."


	30. Beasts in the fog

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Gwaine squinted at the moving figure in the darkness, rapier pointed towards it in defence. It was human - so he thought - but impossible to see in the murky fog. Percival and Elyan, who were on watch with him, moved their hands to draw out their swords also, only for Elyan to recognise the face and stop the other two from running him through.

"_George_? What are you doing out?"

The servant shifted uneasily, "I couldn't sleep."

"Haven't you heard the wolves?" Gwaine asked, sliding his sword back into his belt.

"Yes, but-"

"Go back inside, it isn't safe out here alone." Percival instructed, "The entire kingdom is on standby; the last thing we need is a servant missing."

"I'm not a child..."

"We know that." Elyan glanced at Percival, finding his tone too harsh, "We just don't want another one dead. Remember, two people have been murdered. Who's to say it won't happen again?"

George was normally a very well-spoken character, but now he seemed to have trouble speaking at all. Something was moving about and he didn't know where from. A pile of barrels suddenly toppled over and wood splintered everywhere, startling them.

Silence.

"...Is anyone there?" Gwaine called daringly, deciding it'd be wiser to take out his sword again.

Something watched from the shadows, though their vision was only black and white.

"...What the hell's going on Gwaine?" Percival hissed to his fellow knight.

They stood back to back from each other, in a circle to they pointed in every direction possible. George cowered back and sat down beside one of the barrels, watching them intently. Nothing stirred or moved for a moment, and that worried Gwaine. Though the fog was blinding, he could feel the presence of something else, as if they were being watched. He could feel their breathing; their hot, steady breaths. He could feel them inhaling the blood. He could feel as their mouths dripped water, ready for the feast.

"...They got in..." His words came out as cold air and barely a whisper.

In those seconds, Elyan stepped too far into the shadows and suddenly his feet were pulled out from beneath him as something launched their teeth into his leg and attempted to snatch him into the darkness. Percival sprang forward immediately and grabbed one of his arms, Gwaine grabbing the other until it was a tug of war between man and beast, as both species struggled for power. George ran over to help and managed to grab Elyan's shoulder, pulling with all the strength in him as Elyan desperately kicked at the creature to release its grip. There was a sudden crunching sound and blood spurted onto George's face, making his hands slip so he let go. When he opened his eyes, the knight was gone, leaving a trail of red.

Silence.

Gwaine started shaking, voice full of fear, "E-Elyan..?"

The wind picked up and whipped their faces as several black demons with red eyes closed in around them. Grabbing the servant, the two knights abandoned hope of their friend being alive and ran up the steps to the wooden doors, hands slipping as they tried to unbolt it.

"Hurry!" Percival yelled, as the biggest wolf emerged from the shadows, followed by its brothers and sisters.

With a final twist, the door pushed forwards and the three landed inside; pulling the door shut as a set of claws pierced the wood and left a tear. A low growl was heard, and then it went quiet.

Gasping for breath, Gwaine turned and cast a look at Percival, who looked dead in the eyes.

George, face still wet with Elyan's blood, started to cry.

* * *

**A/N: I KNOW! I'M SORRY! One of the knights had to go and I figured since Elyan's dead anyway...gaa, I hate myself! **

**Oh yeah, and now George is in the picture (cos I love George) so he'll be useful bait for what's about to come next. **


	31. Brass humour

"You're _certain_?"

"Without a doubt." Gwaine said grimly, fingering the tear in his sleeve, "They were definitely wolves. Red eyes, black fur and all."

Arthur went pale, "How did they get inside?"

"They must have broken through the barriers." Merlin said.

Gwen cast a look back at Gwaine, "And Elyan?"

The knight shook his head, eyes glassing over, "He's gone..."

"I'll kill them." Percival muttered, and it was only then that the queen noticed he was clutching a shred of her brother's cape, "I'll bloody kill them all."

Gwen was unresponsive. She sank to the floor, tears blossoming.

"We have to alert the palace; Percival, I need you to get everyone down into the dungeons."

There was a shout from outside and Mordred ran to the window, observing the courtyard down below where a bloody massacre was occurring. He masked his inner pleasure with a look of shock as Camelot's guards were soon scattered along the courtyard, staining the stones red. Arthur came up behind him and the blood drained out of his face as he realised his last defence had been destroyed.

"Get everyone to the dungeons..." he took down a torch that hung from the wall and tossed it to Percival, " Quickly."

**~oOo~**

"You're injured..."

George glanced up at Mordred and shook his head, "It isn't mine."

"Here..." Merlin stooped down and wiped the red smear from his cheekbone with his sleeve.

"Thank you Merlin."

The three of them sat there in silence for a while. Percival and Gwaine had gone to gather the servants and elderly and escort them to the dungeons whilst Arthur left to get weapons. No one knew where Gwen was. She'd wandered off by herself as if she was in a dream, still clinging to the torn piece of cape, her last reminder of Elyan. They left her to grieve and the two servants and the druid boy curled up together in the king's wardrobe; they were unsure of how they ended up in there, but they did. Oddly, George had taken one of Arthur's robes and clutched it to him, as the soft fabric provided great comfort to chase the fear away. Merlin and Mordred bunched up either side of him protectively, slipping their arms behind him so they could hold hands. They shouldn't have been frightened, they both knew that. But they were still human, still barely children. And it was only natural for them to be slightly afraid, even at their own plan.

"Maybe a joke will break the ice." George said in a quiet voice, "What sort of brass makes noise?"

Merlin shrugged, "I don't know, what?"

"A brass lion."

"Oh George..."

A bump from outside signalled the return of Arthur and in seconds the wardrobe doors were pulled open and they were staring at the face of the king.

"What _are_ you three doing?"

Merlin glanced at the other two and replied, "Checking for moths?"

**~oOo~**

"Gwaine, Percival, go to the storerooms and see if there's anything we can use to lure the wolves away from the courtyard. Mordred, you take the back stairs and try and figure out any possible escape routes from the palace. Merlin and George, go and bolt the doors, we have to block all entrances." Arthur paused to draw breath and turned to his wife, "Guinevere, stay here. Keep the door locked at all times and keep this at handy." He handed her a sharp pointed dagger.

As they went to the corridor, Mordred caught Merlin's arm.

"Will you be alright?"

"You know I will."

"Remember they'll listen to you as well. Do not fear them. Just let them have what they came for."

Merlin nodded and landed a chaste kiss on the boy's lips.

Then they went their seperate ways.


	32. Sam

Slipping down the back entrance, the druid boy found several possible escape routes which led from the castle to the forest beyond; one of which he'd been taken through as a child when Merlin and Arthur saved his life. He smirked at the memory and as soon as he was certain no one could hear or see him, he started howling until several pairs of red eyes appeared in the blackness and started stalking in his direction.

_I want you on every end of the castle_, he said to them all, _Don't move until I tell you to, _his eye fell upon two of the smaller ones, _And you two wait in the stables. Riding out of Camelot won't be an option._

There were a few low growls and the black creatures slunk off to their posts, leaving only one standing before the druid.

_Now, dear Leon, I have a special job for you. _

**~oOo~**

"Any luck?" Arthur asked the boy when they'd all reunited in the king's chambers.

The druid shook his head, "I'm sorry. The entrances are blocked off. There's no way we'd make it out."

Arthur nodded and handed the weapons around, "Keep these close to you. And whatever you do, don't hesitate; these aren't puppies, they're wild animals. Kill them before they have a chance to kill you."

"I'll make sure of that." Percival muttered, examining his axe.

"We have to move quickly."

The candles had flickered out in the hallway, leaving it almost pitch black. Lead by Arthur, the party carefully stalked down the corridor, taking heed to every creak and bump that sounded. In the darkness, no one saw Mordred quickly bend his head under his cape or see his eyes flash gold. Though even if they had, it wouldn't have made a difference.

They went down a flight of stairs and still the silence hung about. Arthur wished the beasts would just show themselves; the tension was beginning to grate on him and he felt afraid. He'd been brought up not to feel fear but it was something he simply couldn't help. His heart hammered against his chest as he did his best to take slow, steady breaths. In an attempt not to go into hyperventilation, he gripped the handle of his sword until his knuckles were white and soon his breathing calmed. The presence of Merlin behind him was of some comfort.

They reached the hallway where the storerooms were kept and there was a sudden scraping noise which made them freeze like startled rabbits. Signalling for them to stay put, Arthur carefully descended towards the pile of crates that were stacked in the corner of the room, crossbow raised. The others held their breath as he carefully reached out and kicked them with his foot, provoking whatever it was to come out and fight. The crates moved and something black crawled out...

Just a cat.

He sighed in frustration as the animal started rubbing itself against his leg, "Well, that was a waste of time."

"Speak for yourself Arthur." Gwaine took the creature by the scruff of the neck and spoke to it, "Tis a very ferocious beast we have here."

Merlin giggled.

"We'll call him Sam, eh?"

"If that makes you happy." The king muttered, "What's wrong George?"

The servant backed up near the window, "I'm allergic to cats..."

"Lighten up," Gwaine caught the animal's paw and made it wave at the servant, "A little fur won't kill you."

Upon saying that, the glass window behind George smashed and sent fragments shattering everywhere. They all dropped to the floor to avoid being cut open, though Merlin hadn't been fast enough and ended up with a bloody tear across his cheekbone. For a few moments everything muffled around him and he observed the black shadow that darted in and out of sight in the split seconds he had to take breath. When his eyesight adjusted, he could feel Mordred's wet lips pressing a kiss onto his wounded cheek so his mouth dripped blood, though he didn't seem to care. Gwaine was slumped in the corner, still holding Sam who was whining because the knight was gripping onto him for life.

Percival raised his axe and plunged it into the ground, "BASTARDS!"

Merlin waited for George to make a comment. But he didn't.

George wasn't there anymore.


	33. Hopeless rescue

"What do we do now?" Merlin nervously asked a pacing Arthur, who seemed hell bent on ripping his own hair out.

"What do you think?" Arthur replied, "We're going to get him back."

Gwaine stared at him as if he was insane, which he most probably was, "Are you out of your mind?"

"I might be. But we're still getting him back."

"He's dead Arthur, and you know it."

For a moment Arthur quite forgot himself and soon his sword was pointing at Gwaine's neck, "I'm not leaving him to them! If no one's with me, I'll go alone!"

"Arthur, that's-"

He pushed past the knight and in a matter of seconds he had grabbed a torch off the wall and disappeared into the darkness. Mordred curled his hand through Merlin's and squeezed.

**~oOo~**

As soon as he stepped outside, his foot landed in something wet. He didn't need to check what it was; he already knew it was blood. He was aware of several corpses scattered around but he ignored them – he knew the recognizable faces would put him off – and instead looked around for any sign of George among the bodies. There were plenty of guards, but no serving boy, which came half as a relief and half as a dread. The dim glow of the dying torch was not enough to make an accurate identification but it was all he had and prayed it'd stay alive long enough to find the servant. His foot stepped something metal, causing a crunching sound and when he held it to the light he realised it was a brass buckle; all the servants wore them on their belts.

There was a fresh trail of blood.

He put the bloodstained piece of embroidery into his belt and followed the trail until he reached the stables, to which the blood stopped at the half open door. He kicked the torch out on the floor and carefully took out his sword, finding the brave spirit within him to carefully slip through the door. The inside was pitch black and the king ducked behind the piles of hay in an attempt to keep himself scarce. He could hear tearing and the sounds of bones cracking under teeth and thought for a moment that he was too late. He observed the two black demons fighting over a carcass and closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see anymore. Close to abandoning the quest, he would have if something hadn't shifted nearby and diverted his attention to one of the haystacks.

"George…" he hissed, "George."

The servant was barely conscious. When he lifted his head in response to the king's voice, Arthur could see the crimson red liquid leaking out from beneath his hair, dripping down his nose and finally, running down his chin. Fighting to keep the contents of his stomach in place, Arthur beckoned him to come closer and George took to dragging himself across the floor, as his legs refused to work. The tearing got louder and the wolves began to snipe at one another, muzzles dripping red. Arthur knew who the body belonged to, but he wished to remember Elyan in a more dignified way, rather than in pieces.

He focused on reaching out to pull George into his hiding place, but the whimper that escaped the injured servant was enough to arouse one of the beasts. They ducked below the hay whilst the monster loomed above it, sniffing out the fresh blood that wreaked from their bodies, making the half eaten carcass seem not worth consuming. Arthur put a hand over George's mouth to stop him from screaming as a pair of fangs, of which had a piece of torn flesh stuck between them, came into view dripping red saliva. Some landed on George's face and his teeth sunk into Arthur's hand, making it a challenge for the king not to cry out.

One of the horses whinnied all of a sudden and alerted by the noise, the wolf went and started sniffing at the startled creature, bemused by its rabid behaviour. Arthur grabbed George's collar and pulled him out the open door, knowing this was their only chance to make a run for it. One of the wolves sprang forward and grabbed the servant's leg in an attempt to rip it off, to which Arthur quickly grabbed underneath his arms to stop him from being dragged back to his death. The pain drove anger to the servant's eyes and he kicked the beast violently in the throat so it let go and allowed them to make their escape.


	34. Sentenced to hell

"Keep _still_, Merlin."

The serving boy inhaled sharply through his teeth, as Gwaine carefully dabbed at the cut on his cheek with the ends of his cape, though the blood refused to stop flowing.

"Do you think Arthur's alright?" Percival said from the corner, running a fingertip over the edge of his axe.

"No." Gwaine replied, "I honestly don't. If he was alright, we'd have heard something by-"

"Listen..." Merlin turned towards the door, "I hear something."

The others craned their heads in the same direction. Arthur burst through the door with George under his arm and quickly rested the servant against the wall. Mordred, who was holding Sam, did his best to mask his budding disappointment that the king was still breathing.

"Ye Gods, I don't believe it..." Gwaine muttered, as Percival went to assist Arthur in making George comfortable, "How the hell did you-?"

"Long story."

"We need to stop the bleeding." Merlin said, looking at the blood seeping from George's head, "He's losing colour."

"Get him to Gaius' chambers," Arthur instructed Percival, who immediately caught the servant up in his strong arms, "Gwaine you go too. And make sure-"

There was a sudden banging noise from down below; the sound of wooden hitting a stone floor. Everyone in the room froze as reality hit them sharper than a sword and Mordred fell back against the wall, eyes wide with excitement.

"They're inside..."

**~oOo~**

They reached Gaius' chambers and were greeted by the physician in a rather bemusing fashion.

"Gaius?" Arthur said in alarm, "What are you _doing_ here? You should be in the dungeons!"

"What? And let you handle this on your own?"

Percival quickly lay George on the bed, "They're in the castle Gaius. They're coming for us."

"We need a plan." Said Arthur, "You know about these creatures better than anyone, what's the best way to destroy them."

The physician began wrapping bandages around the servant's head, "Enchanted wolves are deadly creatures. Their physical strength makes them very difficult to kill. The best way to destroy them is by fire or damage to certain areas like the throat."

"How long are they active?"

"Till morning. They hate sunlight, which is why they keep to the darkest part of the woods. They'll only ever come out during the day if they're on a hunt."

"Morning?" Gwaine growled, "That's not for hours."

"Which gives us plenty of time." Arthur said in a low voice.

"What do you mean?"

"We're going after them."

Gaius frowned, "Sire, these are very dangerous creatures. One bite and you're one of them in seconds."

"As soon as the sun comes up they'll be off back into the woods, ready to return when night falls again. We have to wipe them out before they have a chance to kill again."

"How do we do that?" Gwaine scoffed, "Those beasts are unstoppable! Did you see what they did to Pellinore, to _Elyan_?"

"Yes I did!" Arthur turned to him, eyes darkening for a moment, "But they're _dead_, Gwaine, and there's nothing we can do about it! All we can do now is get out there and make sure we send those bloody mutts to hell, even if it means going down with them!"

Merlin's breath hitched and his thumb brushed against Mordred's knuckles.

_It's working Mordred._

_I told you._

"I'm in," Percival said from the corner, "I hope we kill every damn one of them."

"I'm in too." said Merlin.

All eyes turned to Gwaine.

"What? You think I'm going to let you lot go on a wolf massacre without me? No chance."

This earned a grin from Arthur. A scream suddenly echoed from above and the smile disappeared, replaced with an expression of horror.

"Guinevere..."


	35. Farewell, sweet Guinevere

No sooner had they burst into Arthur's chambers, they found a dead wolf lying in the middle of the room, its throat cut several times. Guinevere was backed up against the wall, bloodied dagger in hand, her hair stuck to her face from the sweat and tears. Her whole body jerked from the trembling sensation that rushed through her system but she managed to pull herself together long enough to stutter.

"It's alright...I killed it."

You would have expected Arthur to be relieved, but when Merlin looked at his face he was anything but. He was staring at Guinevere in quite a worrying fashion; as if she were some kind of wild animal. Merlin took his time to examine the queen and his eyes soon fell upon what was making the king so disturbed. At first glance, she seemed unharmed. But the warlock could see a large tear in her sleeve, accompanied by a large gash still dripping blood.

"Gwen..." was all he managed to breathe out.

The queen, quite startled now, looked at them all with faint shock, "What is it? Is something wrong?" She followed their gaze and examined the scar, "It's a flesh wound. Nothing to worry about."

Arthur didn't reply.

"Gwaine..." he said in a low tone and the knight reluctantly handed him his crossbow.

"Arthur?" Gwen was oblivious, "What are you doing?"

He could already see it; her nails curving and turning brown, her teeth sharpening at the bottom. He had to do it, before she was another one of them, another addition to the pack.

"I'm sorry Gwen." He kept his voice a whisper, as he aimed the weapon at her neck, "For everything I've done to deceive you, I'm sorry."

Merlin bent his head.

Gwen didn't reply. She didn't cry or beg for her life. She was too far away now for any of that. Her expression darkened and suddenly her eyes ran red. As soon as she bared her teeth at them, Arthur trampled on his guilt and released the arrow; it went straight into her throat and threw her back against the wall so her head smashed against the stone. She was dead in seconds.

Merlin sat down on the bed slowly, observing the half-animal body of the queen that lay stiff on the floor, suddenly feeling rather ill. Mordred went to the corpse of the dead wolf and began stroking it's muzzle, observing the blood on its teeth where it'd obviously bitten Gwen.

_You did well Näna. I'm so proud of you. _

Gwaine and Percival remained mute. Instead they looked to Arthur, who was standing over the queen's body, white as paper. The crossbow fell from his hold and he turned towards his men, mouth opening slightly as if he was about to address them. He was unable to and instead went to his own bed, knelt beside Merlin, put his head on the servant's lap and wept.

It must have been ten minutes that went by where the others allowed the king to grieve and respectfully turned their backs. Merlin, using one hand to hold the king in place and the other to stroke his back, turned his head to glance at Mordred who seemed the only mildly joyful person in the room.

_Do you think this has gone too far?_

_Don't be a fool Emrys, you know what we've come for._

_Gwen didn't deserve to die._

_Don't give me that. You wanted her gone as much as I did. _

_Not like this._

_Just keep focused. We can't let minor distractions get in our way._

_She was my friend._

_I know she was, my love, but now she is dead. And there's nothing you can do._

Merlin never replied because at that moment Arthur moved slightly and lifted his head, taking the time to make sure his eyes were dry before relaxing his breathing and standing up. The others treated it as if it'd never happened, which he was grateful for.

"It's time we set a trap." He said, his voice back to normal, "We'll start with the ones in the barn. So we're going to need fire."

**~oOo~**

The group split up and went to either end of the castle; Merlin and Percival raced back to Gaius' chambers whilst Arthur and the others went to the courtyard armed with torches. Merlin was aware of something moving in the darkness after them but remembered Mordred's words and was unafraid. As soon as they reached the physician's door, one of the younger wolves leapt out of nowhere and with a slicing motion, cut Percival's abdomen so a litre of red water poured out and stained the floor. With an angry yell, the knight drove his axe into the beast's head - not once, but three solid times - until it stopped moving. Merlin hammered on Gaius' door until he answered and dragged them inside as a few more came out of nowhere and started clawing at the door, almost tearing out the wood.

"Gods..." Percival muttered, clutching his side, "How many of them are there?"

"A fair few." Gaius began stitching up the wound after preparing a healing potion, "They travel in packs of no less than twenty."

"_Twenty_? We don't stand a chance."

"Where is Arthur?"

"He's going to destroy the barn." Merlin said.

"He's putting himself at an incredible risk."

"It's the only risk we can take."

"We have to get back." Percival said, standing up as soon as the last stitch was in, "They need our help."

"Percival, you're injured, I wouldn't advise-"

"I want to go too." Said George, sitting up from the bed.

"George, you're concussed. I don't think-"

"Come, let them Gaius." Said Merlin, "The kingdom needs us."

The physician admitted defeat, "Alright, alright. But Merlin, I implore you, if the cat must stay here, please put him in your room. He's already fallen into my leech tank."

Merlin rolled his eyes and quickly gathered up Sam before he knocked another potion over.


	36. The druid's betrayal

"Are you sure this will work, Arthur?"

"It has to Gwaine."

"You're pale."

"Can you blame me?"

They dragged Gwen's body down into the courtyard, the king's arms shaking as he did so. He hated doing this with passion, but it was the only way. With Mordred on watch, they managed to ease the door of the stable open and place the body inside. The young wolves, alerted by the scent of flesh blood, immediately pounced on the carcass and began tearing it apart whilst Arthur covered his ears in disgust.

Mordred quickly gathered up the torch and handed it to Gwaine and while the others were distracted, quickly snuck round the back of the stables and clicked his teeth so the horses immediately turned to look at him and, as if in a trance, follow him until they were out of the stables.

Gwaine turned to the king, "Ready?"

Arthur opened the door to the stable and Gwaine had a brief glimpse of those red eyes as they salvaged the queen's body.

"Eat this, you bastards."

He hurled the flaming torch through the door and fell back as the stable exploded into flames. The shrill cries of the young wolves brought tears to Mordred's eyes and he hid his face in the neck of one of the stallions until he was sure that they were dead and the wails whistled away into nothing. Arthur watched the flames with satisfaction and clapped Gwaine on the shoulder. He turned to Mordred, and found the druid standing with the three stallions from the stable, pressing his face into the neck of one of them.

"How did the horses get out?" The king asked questioning, surprised further as Mordred turned his head and there were signs of fresh tears on his cheeks.

"I got them out..." The druid said miserably.

"Are you alright?"

"Evidently not." He jolted at his own rudeness, "Forgive me-"

"It's alright. There's no need to be afraid." The king went and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, "What you did was noble. They're my best horses."

"We better hide them in one of the storerooms." The druid said abruptly, "The wolves can't get at them there."

**~oOo~**

"We did it." Gwaine met the others in the hall, face flushed with excitement, "You should have seen it!"

Merlin looked up, "How many did you get?"

"Two, but the fire will keep the rest away."

Mordred was mute. He cuddled Sam for a while, running his fingers through that black fur.

"Let's finish off the rest of them then." Percival brandished his axe, "Then we'll find a way out of this place without getting eaten alive."

George shuddered.

"Mordred...?" Arthur had been watching the druid for some time and was worried by his behaviour, "...what's the matter?"

Mordred was laughing, "A way out...a way out..."

He turned to the others and stared right through them, eyes darkening from blue to almost black.

"There is no 'way out'. There never has been."

Arthur was baffled, "Mordred, what are you talking about?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" He bent down and carefully kissed Sam, "I've always been one of them."

Merlin peered over from around Gwaine, feeling his lips twitch.

"They were always here..." Mordred's eyes met with the king, never blinking, "...I just opened the doors..."

"...You let them in..." Arthur's voice went quiet, "...didn't you?"

"It didn't take a lot of work."

"But why? Why would you let those...those _monsters_ in?"

"You may think they're monsters-!"

This was the first time Mordred raised his voice and it soon descended into a low chuckle, as he was not used to shouting.

"...but _I'm_ the real thing."

He took a few steps backwards and shadows began to form against the walls, "I chose to be part of this family. I chose to run with the pack. But now it seems I'm out of time."

The shadows merged and Merlin felt himself smiling as the wolves closed in around the druid boy, teeth dripping water onto the floor. It gave Arthur time to realise how foolish he'd been, how he'd made so many mistakes. This was all his doing, he knew it.

Mordred allowed Sam to scamper back to Merlin and then addressed the wild dogs to what they'd been longing for.

"Dig in."


	37. Kitchen attack

Before Arthur could even get a shot of the druid, he had stepped back and the beasts were racing towards them at full speed, teeth bared. He managed to successfully get one in the eye, but it only angered the others further and soon the obvious option was to run. Amongst the haze, Gwaine and Percival took a different turn and ended up heading towards the kitchen; one of the wolves noticed and took off after them. The remaining three split up and George fled into one of the bedrooms, flinging the door shut before his head was caved in. Arthur pulled Merlin into a doorway and when he was certain they were out of eyeshot, turned to look at the serving-boy.

"You need to get out of here."

"Arthur-"

"I _mean_ it Merlin. I'm your king and I'm ordering you to run."

"I won't, not without you."

Arthur could hear claws scraping against the stone floor. He quickly leaned over and pressed their lips together, startling Merlin and bringing a flood of old feelings rushing back. As soon as he pulled away, the warlock felt his eyes go back to normal.

Arthur's lips twitched, "Now stop being an idiot and run."

Merlin obeyed this time and started down the hall; the faint screech of Arthur drawing his sword was of no comfort to him. There were far too many wolves - even the master swordsman could not bring down fifteen enchanted beasts that were capable of slaughtering an army.

_I don't know if I can do this Mordred._

**~oOo~**

Arthur pulled the door of the bedroom open and slammed it shut, just as a claw pierced through and stopped centimetres away from his cheek. He knew they'd knock it down in a matter of minutes, so he quickly looked about the room for possible places to hide. Not that he was afraid of course. He decided the best place was behind the dressing screen that stood in the corner and quickly ducked behind it. He landed on something hard.

"_Ow_..."

"George, move_ over_. Do you _want_ to get us killed?"

"I must insist sire, _I_ was here first."

"Sssh, don't make any...oh Gods, what is the cat doing here?"

"I could hardly leave him to the beasts, sire!"

Sam meowed in agreement. The door suddenly gave in and they shrank and several doggish shadows loomed before them, outlining their teeth and ears. Their low growling frustrated Sam and George had to shove his head under his coat to stop him from giving them away. Hiding wasn't good enough, Arthur knew that. The wolves could smell a man's blood a mile away. They knew very well where the trio were hiding. They were mocking them, teasing their prey. The king decided to give up fighting. After all, there was no way they were getting out of this one. He clutched George as claws tore through the material and a snout appeared, roaring at them until their faces were wet. Arthur curled up next to George protectively; if he was to to die, he'd rather take the first blow than his servant. In the split seconds that the wolves had torn down the screen, the fur on Sam's back went shooting up and when Arthur had the courage to open his eyes, Sam had dig his tiny claws into the beast's head and was currently scratching his eyes out, so trickles of blood flowed down its snout as it roared in its fury. With the wolves distracted, Arthur was able to grab his dagger and slice one in the throat. Scrambling out, he managed to get to his feet, but a sudden twist of black and he was over again. No sooner had he hit the floor, something heavy landed on his chest and pinned him down, stealing all the breath from his airway and making him choke. And without mercy, the weight pushed down on him, without breaking his ribs by some miracle. He reached up a hand and grabbed the beast by the throat, in an attempt to keep its teeth away from his neck, and inhaled sharply. The pain, by _Gods_ the pain. It was more than a feeling. In those minutes that he lay plastered in his own blood he longed for death. Anything, _anything_ to make the pain stop. There was no mercy in those eyes, and staring into them seemed the spur on the raging animal. A sudden burst of pressure came to his abdomen and he coughed, red stuff spraying from his lips.

The first wolf finally managed to shake off the clinging cat and opened its mouth ready to eat him alive, only for George to hook his arm around its neck and twist it to the side so a sharp cracking noise was heard. Had Arthur not been in such a dire situation, he'd have praised the servant for such a crafty move. He was too occupied with greeting his upcoming death. The black demon was sucking the life out of him, and in those moments he thought of his father and what he'd have said if his eyes had fallen upon his son being so useless when his life was at stake. A couple of tears squeezed their way from the corner of his eyes. It didn't matter in anyone saw. Death would spare him from the humiliation.

He shut his eyes and heard a banging noise, and blood that wasn't his own stained his face. He painfully opened his eyes again and saw the wolf lying on its side, a poker through its spine. He stared up at George, who had yet again earned some red moisture to his face and remained there struck dumb as the servant offered him a hand up.

"You needn't look so surprised, sire. Telling jokes is not the only thing I'm good at." He wiped the blood from his face.

Arthur finally accepted the hand, then stumbled a little, blood sticking to his lips.

"Here," George removed his bandana and wiped at the mess, "Fortunately it didn't bite you."

When he was no longer spitting red, Arthur examined the dead animals on the floor, "I can't understand why you're not a knight yet."

"A serving-boy's life is a lot more exciting, sire."

Arthur picked Sam off the floor, "And what about this little wildcat in a small package? What are your claws made of, iron?"

George went and pulled the poker out from the wolf's back, "I believe I might be needing this, sire."

"Wise decision. We have to find Mordred. My guess is he's headed to the centre of the kingdom. Let's beat him to it, eh?"

**~oOo~**

"Mother of Mary, Gwaine, it's not letting up."

Gwaine watched with mild horror as the wolf successfully tore down the door to the kitchen and cornered them; snapping at them as if intent on ripping off their flesh from their bodies. He swung once but the animal avoided it, dodging and flicking its tail like a whip to catch the man's ankle so the knight's feet fell out from underneath him. His head met with the floor and all of a sudden the whole world seemed a daze. He rolled over before his eyes were torn out and once again attempted to decapitate the beast but it seemed to know all the moves. Had it been human, it would have been an excellent knight. Percival swung his axe at it but again it dodged, forcing the two knights to change direction and back up to where the kitchen utensils were held. Deciding a more humorous method of disposal, Gwaine grabbed a pan and threw it at the rabid mutt's head, satisfied as it bounced off its skull and landed with a sharp bang on the floor. Riled, the beast lunged for them again; only for the two of them to swerve out of the way. They were cornered again and with no way out, Percival raised his axe over his head to cut the beast's head from his shoulders, not caring if he himself died in the process.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. For a second of looking into the creature's eyes, the red suddenly drained out and was replaced with a more gentle, yet deranged looking blue colour. Gwaine had seen those eyes before. He knew them by heart. Percival brought the weapon down and it sliced into the creatures gut; creating a rapid wound but not enough to kill it. Something in Gwaine's head suddenly pieced it all together.

"Don't!" He grabbed Percival's wrist before he could swing again, "It's_ Leon_!"

"Are you mad? Leon's dead!"

"Look at it! Look at its eyes!"

Percival looked down at the snarling creature and for a second he saw it too.

"The spell's wearing off..." said Gwaine.

The wolf, now mortally wounded, began dragging itself along the floor in a bid to escape, only to collapse halfway. Percival ran forward and after checking its eyes, confirmed that they were Leon's.

"We need to get him out of here." He carefully picked the large dog up, buckling slightly at its weight, "Otherwise the others will be back to finish us off."


	38. The Great Arthur Pendragon

"George, your eyes have gone all sore."

"A natural reaction, sire."

"Perhaps you should give Sam to me for a bit, until it settles down."

"I don't think that's a very good idea, sire. Your armour may get scratched."

They reached the throne room and the king threw open the doors, finding the hall seemingly empty.

"MORDRED!" he bellowed, voice echoing against the walls.

"Here."

Arthur turned and noticed the druid boy slouched across his throne, playing with the king's crown.

"Evening."

Arthur pictured Uther's face in his mind and tried to imagine his expression had he been present to witness a _druid_ dominating his sacred chair and fiddling around with his crown as if it were a cheap piece of jewellery.

"This is quite a turn up, my Lord."

Arthur still refused to reply; he was too busy holding back the urge to lunge forward and stab the boy in the eye.

Mordred smiled, "I don't suppose even the great Arthur Pendragon saw _this_ one coming."

"Why would you do this Mordred?" Arthur sounded wounded, "You were my friend. Like the younger brother I never had. What did I do wrong?"

Mordred pretended to retrace his brain, "Now let me think...oh _yes_. It all went wrong for you when you started passing my beloved around like a jewel."

"What are you-?"

Something moved from behind the druid, and his posture straightened as a second figure stepped out of the darkness. Arthur almost choked; the familiar eyes made his heart race and he felt sick.

"Merlin..." His chest heaved and he fought to keep calm, "...Merlin, no..."

The serving boy's eyes were a dirty gold colour and he ignored the king; instead he went and sat himself on the druid's lap, propping his legs over the side of the throne. George shifted in the background with Sam.

"So you see, _my Lord_." Mordred pressed his cheek against the soft raven hair, as if the warlock was the most precious possession in the world - which he probably was through the eyes of the druid, "I've had you turning in circles for months now. All those little puzzles for you to solve. First the serving girl, then the princess..."

Arthur felt as if he'd been stabbed in the chest, "_You_ killed them?"

"There was no need to, I know. But they got in the way," He was stroking Merlin like he was a furry animal, "And I'd happily do it again several times over."

"They didn't deserve to die."

"Did_ I_ deserve to get captured? Did I deserve to be chained to a rock and molested daily? Did I deserve the flogging? Did I deserve _rape_? Perhaps I did, through your eyes. I don't have the purest of hearts, do I? I'm not perfect like you, am I, _Arthur Pendragon_?"

A different wave passed between them, something far more sinister. Arthur looked mildly shocked.

"Oh?" Mordred's voice was soaked in sarcasm, "You didn't know about all that?"

The king shook his head honestly.

"You should." The druid's hold on Merlin tightened, "My captor was one of your father's men after all."

"I had no idea. Mordred, I'm sorry-"

"That doesn't change anything, being sorry. Anyway, what happened to me was nothing to do with this. I'm doing this for Merlin and Merlin only."

"But why all this?"

"When I was being held prisoner the wolves were always there for me. I bonded with them in a way I couldn't bond with any human. They looked after me, cleaned my wounds. And now I'm repaying the favour, by quenching their thirst for human blood."

"You enchanted them?"

"A simple enchantment I learnt from my old tutor. They'll do anything I want for a taste of flesh. They could eat a man in seconds."

George ran his fingers against the poker he was holding and examined the red blood that spread across his index finger.

"Bottom line is, you're now under me Arthur Pendragon."

"You think so?"

Another smirk found its way to the druid's lips, "Which one of us is sitting on the throne?"

"You can have the throne." Arthur's gaze fell upon the servant, "But I'm leaving with Merlin."

"I don't think so."

"So you're prepared to fight for him?"

This made Mordred chuckle, "That won't be necessary."

Before Arthur knew it, the boy's eyes had flashed gold and suddenly his back was colliding with the wall, stealing all the breath from him. George cowered in the corner, hugging Sam though his eyes watered from the cat hairs. Back aching, Arthur picked himself and found Mordred now standing, leaving the serving-boy sitting like an obedient dog on the throne. He tried the crown upon his head and found it was quite a perfect fit, if not a bit large. Mordred had been right, it did suit him.

Arthur wiped the blood away from his lips, "You have magic?"

"I could have you out in one blow, Pendragon." Mordred said coolly, rounding up on the king, "Do you know how that feels? Having such control? It's more power than _you'll_ ever have."

Merlin took the crown off and examined it a while, carefully turning it. It didn't feel right.

"You're _alone_, Pendragon." Mordred's tone never faltered, "You always have been. You've always been weak, haven't you? So weak, you didn't even kill me when you had the chance. Because I was a _child_. And now your father's not here to mend all the cracks you make."

"F-Father..." Arthur gasped; looking into Mordred's eyes seemed to steal all the breath from him.

"You see, here is where you and I are not so different, Pendragon. Both our father's were stolen from us; except it was your father who stole mine."

Arthur's breathing started getting heavier, "He never meant to...it was for the good of Camelot-"

"There are times when I awaken and I see my father's face. I remember what he told me about those without magic. He haunts my sleep, tortures my dreams so I scream his name. I weep for him, Pendragon; I shed the tears I was never able to shed as a child. But that's all changed now. The Old Religion will return, and everything you feared will become reality. Very much alive."

Merlin felt the colour drain out of his face and soon everything was back to normal again, no longer faded. He saw George huddled in the corner with Sam and wondered where Mordred was.

"It's been fun." Mordred spoke down to the king as if he were a dog, "But I'm afraid you're out of luck."

He raised his hands towards Arthur's face, intent on breaking his neck just by clenching his fist.

"It's been an honour serving under you, Arthur Pendragon..." His lips twisted, "...or not."

Before he could make any movement, the druid was suddenly thrown sideways and with a dense force, hit the wall and spat out a mouthful of red as his skull almost cracked against the stone. He fell limp as a hound and when he attempted to get up, he found his legs were heavy and obviously fractured. He knew only one that could inflict that much pain just by looking at someone.

He turned back to Merlin, his dear Merlin, and stuttered in his disbelief, "E-Emrys...?"

Merlin was unresponsive and looked away with guilt. Arthur gathered himself from the floor, no longer half paralysed and approached the withering figure of the druid, satisfied by the turning of tables. He took his sword from his belt and raised it above his head.

"This is for Elyan."

He brought it down and slashed the boy once in the stomach, making him scream. Merlin winced as red stuff started pooling against the stone floor and itched to call to Arthur. He decided not to.

Arthur raised the sword again, "This is for Gwen."

He brought it down once more, slicing the druid's collarbone. Mordred started sobbing in agony, clutching at the bloodied area, vision fading from the sudden loss of blood. The sword went back over Arthur's head.

"This is for Merlin."

This blow was extra painful. Mordred started crawling along the floor - much like poor Mithian the night she was murdered - only for a leather boot to push against the small of his back, pinning him down so any kind of movement was impossible.

"And this one's for you, you little bastard."

Arthur raised the sword again, ready to cut it through the druid's neck and twist it, hopefully causing excruciating pain before death. As he brought it down over his head, he found the weapon was suddenly snatched from him and his hands were left empty as the sword flew meters from his hold and clattered against the floor. Merlin came forward and pressed his foot against the metal.

"I won't let you kill him."


	39. My darling Emrys

Arthur noticed that Merlin's eyes had returned to normal, but was still baffled by his statement.

"Merlin, as glad as I am that you're alright, please stay out of this."

"I won't." There was something about Merlin's voice that was different, "There's been enough violence."

"He deserves this."

"Arthur, let him go."

He could see the king stiffen in anger. Had the sword been at hand, he'd probably have driven it through the druid's middle by now. The warlock pressed on.

"There was a time when you said you'd do anything for me..."

The words passed through one ear and out the other. Arthur grudgingly took a step back and allowed Mordred to breathe again; as soon as he was free, Merlin rushed to him and took the druid in his arms, eyes glassing over at the sight of the blood. Mordred was speechless from the pain and hopelessly clung to the warlock, too weak to even communicate telepathically.

"He's dying..." Merlin muttered.

"I'm glad of it."

The servant cast Arthur a death glare and for a moment he was tempted to knock him out with something. George eased forwards and when he saw all the blood, turned and threw up in the shadows; the contents of his stomach had been swimming in there since Elyan had been slaughtered and finally he could let them out. Merlin didn't acknowledge the wretching in the background. He focused on Mordred.

He touched the boy's eyelids, "Mordred..."

Those sky blue eyes opened slowly and stared up at the face above him as a smile tried to make its way across those cracked lips. He spoke slowly to make breathing easier.

_Hello Emrys..._

_Mordred-_

_Why Emrys? Why would you betray me?_

_...Because I realise now that we were wrong. This isn't the answer Mordred. Murder never has been the answer. This isn't you. This isn't who I love. My job has been to protect Arthur, it always has been, no matter what. Forgive me but I cannot kill him. I love him, Mordred, I love him too._

_He expected a flare of anger, but none came. Mordred laughed softly._

_I told you that's why I love you Emrys. You can forgive anybody._

Merlin returned the smile and spoke through dry lips, "I'm sorry-"

"There's no need to..." Mordred coughed.

"There is, there _is_. I got you here. I'm _sorry_." His eyes overflowed.

"There's no point weeping Emrys." Mordred was sweetness and light, "I'm going."

"Shut up. You won't die Mordred, you can't."

He leaned down and pressed their cheeks together, gently rubbing. The druid seemed stiff a moment, then slowly sank into the embrace and relaxed his breathing. If he had to die, he wanted to die warm. He'd decided that.

"Emrys...your face is stained."

Merlin pulled back and felt his face, his fingertips coming back red. He simpered through his tears.

"You've left your mark on me."

"My parting gift."

He put a hand on Merlin's wrist and the shaking came to a stop. Blood came from the nose and trickled down to his lips. George was a lot closer now, a sickening white colour. Arthur watched from a distance, arms wrapped around himself defensively.

"I'm dead, Emrys."

"Don't...you're not-"

"Look at the sky."

Merlin felt the water trickling down his face and when he glanced upwards, between the rafters, he could see in the early morning sky that the moon was disappearing. Mordred jerked and his eyes flashed gold through his pained gasp and within seconds there was a howl and the scraping of claws against the stone ground. Merlin could feel a weight being lifted.

"You called them off..."

"They've done they're part." Mordred reached up and wiped the smear of red away from Merlin's cheekbone, "Your bleeding..."

The muffling came back to Merlin's senses, "Forget that."

Mordred inhaled again, sharply.

"I'm sorry I..." He was finding speaking difficult, "...couldn't have done more for you."

"Shut up..." Merlin thought his heart would burst "...you've done a lifetime of sins for me Mordred. Don't you dare-"

"My eyes..." Mordred gasped, "I can't see..."

"Try to breathe." The tears were rapid, "_Try_."

Mordred doubled up and the pain spreading across his chest was apparent. Blood spilt out from his mouth.

"Heaven..." the child breathed out, though it was proving difficult to speak due to such a massive loss of blood, "...promise me..."

"No...I won't let you...Mordred..."

A smile flashed across the druid's lips and Merlin could hear a bell ringing somewhere in the distance as the dying moonlight reflected off those sky blue eyes. His lips quivered and now he was so weak he could only whisper.

"I love you...my darling Emrys."

He put both arms around his neck and they shared the kiss which they knew would not last. Face wet, Merlin gripped the sides of the precious druid and felt as he slipped out of conciousness, a path which would soon lead to death. Settling him back down, he glanced once more at the king - who was watching intently behind him - and with his heart hammering against his chest, placed a hand over Mordred's eyes.

He had to do that. Resurrecting spells ran with the risk of the patient going blind.

Then with trembling breath, he hissed, _**Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ.**_

* * *

**A/N: If one is confused over what Merlin said, it is an old healing spell :3 **


	40. The morning's blessing

George gasped at the flash of gold and for a moment wondered if his eyes were deceiving him. This couldn't be Merlin, it _couldn't_ be. The very idea was…

Arthur's reaction was similar.

The warlock found he could breathe again, as Mordred's chest soon started to rise and fall as the air returned to his lungs. He planted another kiss on the dry, colourless lips and waited for the spell to take its full effect.

"You're a sorcerer…?"

He didn't turn at Arthur's voice and felt a lump grow in his throat as Sam went and started rubbing his face against his knee, "Yes…"

"All this time…"

"I was born with it!" Merlin couldn't contain the bottled anger anymore, "There's been magic at the heart of Camelot all this time and you never knew. Well…" He turned and glared at the king, "You do now."

Arthur was speechless, "Merlin…how could you…?"

"You've always underestimated me Arthur. You wonder why I tired of you? You wonder why I strayed away? Because I was always _lower_ than you, Arthur Pendragon. I hoped I may be more than your servant but that will never be."

Tears started falling. He was aware of George shuffling up to him and curling his arms around his shoulders in an awkward hug. Arthur leaned against one of the pillars, looking up at the rafters above.

"It's morning…"

"He's right Merlin." George mumbled into the raven hair.

Merlin shifted in his fellow servant's arms, arms freezing, "I'm cold..."

The door suddenly burst open and Gwaine entered with Gaius, Percival following after them. He was carrying one of the dogs in his arms, sweating slightly at the weight of it. Arthur looked appalled.

"What are you _doing_?" He squinted as they carefully laid the mutt on the floor, "It's still alive!"

"Hand me the potion Gwaine," Gaius said stiffly, taking the bottle from the knight and carefully putting it under the animal's nose while Percival pulled it onto his lap. The wolf reacted violently to the smell and attempted to snap at Percival's face, struggling for freedom. But soon the scent consumed it and it went still. Slowly, but surely, its body began to change and Arthur watched with slight horror, yet also slight fascination as the hair sunk back into the skin and the four legs eventually molded back to a pair of arms.

"Leon…"

The knight was unresponsive. Gwaine quickly removed his cloak to wrap it around the man before his naked body froze in the chilling air, just to give him some dignity. He was still bleeding from the side but Gaius quickly bandaged the wound until the flow was brought to a halt. George lifted Sam off the floor and, not caring how sore his eyes got, started cradling him with great anxiety as Merlin cradled the still unconscious Mordred. Silence fell upon the castle and as the clouds cleared away from the sky, the king went and knelt beside the warlock, eyes falling upon the seemingly sleeping druid boy.

"This changes nothing Merlin."

The warlock turned to ask Arthur what he meant, only to be met with a tender kiss to the cheek.

"You having magic, it changes nothing. I've always loved you." The king gently ran his lips down the side of his face, "And I always will."

His lips moved until they were rested upon the servant's once more, light and affectionate. It made George smile.

"I just..." Arthur leaned back, looking embarrassed, "...I just wish I could forget all this. Every last detail."

Merlin cast a look at the others who were busy tending to Leon and directed his gaze back to the king. His hands reached up to the man's shoulders and when their eyes locked, there was no chance of Arthur looking away.

"Don't worry..."

He leaned forward until their noses were touching, the heat of his breath warming Arthur's skin till it burned. When the king opened his eyes, the ones opposite him had already turned to fire.

"You will..."


	41. The power of three

Arthur jolted awake and opened his mouth to scream for his father, only to recollect the fact that Uther was no longer there. The sun blazed into his eyes, making them fill with water so he squeezed them shut.

"M-Merlin...?"

The warlock responded by carefully tucking the hair away from the king's eyes. Arthur turned with a start and stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Merlin...you're-"

"It's alright Arthur." Merlin reached over and gently caressed his cheek, his voice soft and tender, "Everything's fine."

"But...but Guinevere-"

"She's not here Arthur. She...she left Camelot with Elyan. They've gone to stay with their mother."

"Oh...did you tell her?"

At this, Merlin looked uncertain, "Yes...she's happy Arthur. She's moved on."

"That's good..."

"Can you remember anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can...can you remember what happened yesterday?"

"No...well, last thing I remember is talking to you and...oh Gods." He took the serving boy's hands, "Merlin, I...I never meant to-"

"It's fine Arthur, like I said. You did what you thought was right. And now Guinevere's gone so..."

They took a second to dwell on that thought, before Arthur spoke again, "I had a dream Merlin."

"Really, what kind?"

"...A nightmare. There were these horrible beasts and they had red eyes and...you..." He trailed off and giggled a moment, "You had _magic_!"

Merlin smirked, "Definitely a dream. I'm far too much of an idiot for that."

"True. But you're _my_ idiot."

Before Merlin knew it, he'd been pulled on top of the king and the familiar taste of red wine and peppermints came fresh to his mouth. He missed that old feeling and realised he craved it. Their tongues hooked together, leaving sloppy wet trails. He knew there were other matters that needed discussing, so quickly withdrew for breath.

"Arthur...there's something we need to talk about."

"What's the matter?"

The servant didn't reply. The door opened suddenly, not giving them any time to spring away from each other and Arthur frowned at the person who entered.

"What's he doing here?"

Mordred didn't react to the bitter tone of the king's voice; he kept his eyes to the floor as if in shame.

"We need to talk Arthur." Merlin said nervously, "You see, Mordred and I...we've been in a relationship-"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I want to but-"

"So you came to let me down easily then? Is this your way of getting revenge then Merlin?"

"Please, I'm begging you." The servant gripped the king's arm, "You need to-"

"_You_ need to decide Merlin." Arthur said abruptly, "Me or him. As simple as that."

Merlin glanced at them both, trying to work out his emotions. He shook his head.

"I-I can't."

"Come on Merlin. Make up your mind. Me or him."

Merlin started weeping, "I love you both..."

"That's not good enough."

"It's alright Merlin." Mordred said quietly, "You don't have to decide yet, you can-"

"No, I'm tired of choosing." He went and put his hands on Mordred's arms, "You're both so dear to me, I can't lost either one of you. You want me to choose but I can't, I simply can't. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is."

Mordred, moved and slightly overwhelmed, wound his arms around the warlock's neck and took several seconds to kiss him. Respectfully, Arthur turned away and deciding he'd been too harsh previously, inhaled to soothe the burning anger within him.

"Well then..."

At the sound of his voice, the pair broke away and watched him nervously. He shifted on the bed and his hands carefully reached up to undo the lace on his nightwear.

"...there seems only one way to settle this." His eye fell upon the druid, "Mordred, come here."

The boy clung to Merlin, "What are you going to do to me?"

"Just get over here."

Reluctantly, he sauntered over and the king pulled up the hem of his shirt to expose the pale, slender curve of his body. He leaned over and gently began kissing around his stomach, making Mordred shiver. Merlin watched, confused, as the kisses trailed down to his navel whereupon Arthur stopped and turned instead to the serving boy.

"You too, Merlin..."

His tone of voice was all Merlin needed. As he approached the bed, his breeches fell past his knees, spurring on the fiery urge within Arthur. He fell upon the king, grinning and carefully peeled off his shirt. Arthur's hand reached down to undo his night trousers, only for Merlin to stop them and take to undoing the clasp himself. As soon as they were off, Arthur pulled off his own shirt and locked the serving-boy into an embrace, to which Mordred watched with burning fascination. Feeling a bit left out, he leaned over and started kissing along Merlin's back, carefully undoing his breeches in the process. Merlin continued kissing, lower and lower until he reached the undergarments which slid off quickly. Arthur gasped at the kisses along his stomach and waist, as Mordred stuck his hand in to touch the private area. The sudden rush came out both painful and exhilarating at the same time and Arthur resisted screaming; though the tugging from down below made it difficult. Merlin repositioned himself so Arthur was on top of him and carefully ducked down into a dog position so the king could mount him and begin thrusting. Arthur slowly guided himself into the serving-boy and the feeling was truly amazing - something which he faintly remembered but couldn't quite pick out when he'd last felt it. Mordred watched, crossing his legs together and telling his inner lust to behave itself. Sex was something he had always been rather afraid of, despite his urge to have it constantly. Merlin's face began to flush and amongst the sweat and pained moaning, there was a heavy satisfaction.

Then they collapsed and it was over. Arthur laid a hand on his chest to gain back what little breath he had as Merlin crawled over to begin the process all over again with the druid boy.

It was perfect.


	42. Sleeping kittens

"Ye Gods, my head's banging..." Gwaine winced as he sat up from his bed, "Think I drank too much last night."

"Me too." Percival rubbed his skull, "Where's Elyan?"

"No idea."

"Hey, boys?" Leon called from the other end of the room, "Since when does the king keep his _horses_ in the palace storerooms?"

Gwaine shook his head, bemused, "We really must have been wasted last night."

"Best not let Arthur see us like this" Percival stood up and stretched, only for a sharp pain to split through his abdomen, "Gah! Where the hell did that come from?" He trailed a finger along the stitching on his stomach.

"I've got one too." Leon carefully rubbed the scar just above his hip.

"This is going to sound crazy..." said Gwaine, "But I had the weirdest dream last night. There were these wolves and-"

"You too?" Percival looked astonished, "I had the same dream."

"That's odd..." Leon quickly pulled on his armour, "Maybe we should go and see the king and tell him about it. Though no doubt he'll be annoyed that his knights can no longer handle their liquor."

**~oOo~**

Things were definitely off that morning. The servants were floating about as if trapped in another world. Gaius seemed a little distracted. And when they looked out into the courtyard, they observed several bodies being loaded into a cart.

"What do you suppose happened?" Gwaine asked.

The others shrugged.

"Morning George." Leon greeted the servant as they met him in the corridor, "Something happen to your head?"

George's hand flew up to his scalp and he traced his fingers along the bandage, "I'm not entirely sure, Sir Leon."

Percival's eye fell upon the black creature in the servant's arms, "Since when did we have a cat?"

"I'm not entirely sure of that either. But I found him sniffing around the crates this morning and he's been following me around ever since." George replied.

"...Sam..."

Leon frowned, "What did you say, Gwaine?"

"...I think his name's Sam. I don't know, it just seems to ring a bell."

"Sam it is then." Leon scratched between the cat's ears, "The king should be awake by now. We better press on."

"You alright George?" Percival asked, slightly concerned, "Your eyes are going red."

"Slight allergy sir."

They reached the king's bedroom after passing yet many other ghostly servants - who stared at them as if they were from another world and knocked once - only to receive no answer.

"He might be asleep." Said Percival.

Gwaine scoffed, "This is _Arthur_ we're talking about. He never sleeps in this late."

In the end, the knight pushed the door open boldly and was about to address the king when he found the sight before him caused his mouth to stop working. Percival had been right. Arthur _was_ asleep. Only, he wasn't alone. He had been accompanied in his slumber by a certain raven-haired servant. No doubt it was Merlin, though that hardly surprised anyone. It was the third person who was the real shock. Mordred was curled up on the other side of Arthur, arm outstretched to the left so he could hold Merlin also.

None of them were wearing clothes. They looked like three sleeping kittens.

The three knights stared, mouths gaping, until George allowed Sam to clamber onto his shoulders and his hands were free to slowly shut the door.

"I think our questions can wait until later. Don't you gentlemen?"

**~FIN~**


	43. Author's note and thank you's

**A/N: And it's done! Finito! I can finally go back to my social life! (Not that I ever had one.) **

**First of all, thankyouthankyouthankyou to everyone who read/reviewed/favourited/followed. I never expected to get this much reception. To think I was going to leave it at one chapter ':) I'm really glad everyone liked it as I was quite skeptical about adding certain things to the story (Mordred's kink, demon wolves, you get the basic drift.)**

**Ohohoho, I have soooooo many people to thank. To Mango-Llama (gah, you're so awesome XD) who I'm a massive fan of and was brilliant enough to let me use some of their ideas in my story (I am so honoured *dies*)**

**To my lovely internet girlfriend Lucyinthesky1996, who publicised my story and talked me into writing more chapters (she refused to let me leave it at one chapter. Love you Lucy xx)**

**And finally to TheAmazingBouncyBall who talked me into making a nice ending. **

**I shall be taking a break for a while, but fear not. I have another lighter story planned which hopefully will tug at those heartstrings (something about Merlin being adopted into Arthur's family as a baby etc. etc.)**

**Love you all Xxx **


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